Beginning Flames
by AnimeHeroesRule01
Summary: The first story in the Dragon Chronicles series. An 18-year-old girl finds herself on a foreign planet with many deities, and finds that she and one other are Half-Bloods. And it seems a new enemy is on the approach, as well...
1. Where Do I Begin?

The story I'm about to tell may seem a bit farfetched, but it's right from the horse's mouth. I know what you're thinking: you've heard this line before with other stories, you're not gonna be roped in another 'wild goose chase'. Well, I don't blame you. But I believe you will think differently after hearing my tale - that being you're willing to listen. I can't stop you. If you'd like, you can click in the search link and type in another story to read. Or you can stay here, and let your curiosity get the best of you and continue reading my tale.

I was just your average girl, average height, average weight, average body type. My eyes are blue with a bit of green around the pupil, my hair long, straight and brunette. I wore thin wire glasses for my nearsightedness. I'm actually quiet and timid, hence the nickname Chy (pronounced as Shy). In school, I was the wall flower, and no one aside from my friends can see me. Like a chameleon, I blended with the crowd, completely invisible. My dad had custody of me - I was an only child - after my parents' divorce. But my mom had some visitation rights. I lived in Idaho, and she stayed in Montana. There were days where I thought of going back there, but I never really had the guts to do something rash.

But enough about me; let's get to main part of the story.

I was asleep in my bed and I had the strangest dream. There was nothing but black around me, but I was hearing this voice that was completely unfamiliar to me. I never saw them, so I couldn't quite pinpoint a gender.

"_Your life is about to begin__,_" the voice said.

"Who's there? Who are you?" I called out in the darkness.

"_Your life is about to begin, Cheyenne Rowe. You hold a power that you never thought you had before. You shall come to the Temple of Hajime and train to use your gift._"

_Temple of Hajime? Power? _I thought. _What the hell is going on here?!_

* * *

I woke up, my eyes wide. I massaged my temples and looked up. I found that the moon had found its way into my room, and my bed had been replaced with cold, hard ground. I stood up, the realization that I had found myself in the middle of a darkened forest.

_It's okay, Chy. This is but a dream. Sometimes, dreams can do a lot of crazy things to mess with your mind, whether you want them to or not. Remember, this is only a dream. It can't hurt you._

Boy, was I wrong.

As I walked in the dark of the night, and without my glasses was really hard, I heard soft crying coming from the left of me. I followed the sound until I saw a little boy, his head buried in his knees. My sympathy taking over, I quickly walked over to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Without looking up at me, he shook his head. "He... he's coming to get me..." he said with a sniffle.

I raised an eyebrow. "He, who?"

"You know, HIM! He's coming to get me...!"

"I don't understand-"

A loud roar echoed in the night, sending chills down my spine. I loud _thud!_ came from behind me. I turned to see a giant monstrous creature looking down at me! It looked like a shell of whatever came from it, giving off an icy chill around its being. Its yellow eyes seemed to peer straight through me, staring at my soul as it started to salivate. It was bigger and stood taller than I, about a few feet. Its body was gray, its head and wing-like appendages an icy blue. It had short arms like a T-Rex, and large, yet stubby legs not all that built for running.

_This is only a dream... It can't really hurt you..._

Hearing a quiet, sinister laugh come from behind me, I turned around, only to see the boy get blown away by a gentle breeze. I looked back at the creature, and it let out a loud, deafening roar. I quickly turned and ran, not wanting the creature to get a hold of me. As I ran, my heart beat faster and faster, the adrenaline taking over me. I looked behind me for a moment to see if the creature was chasing me, but then a shadow had covered me. I looked up, seeing the monster flying right over my head. Still looking up from fear, I tripped over an uprooted tree root and rolled down a long hill. When I reached the bottom, my world was dizzy and spinning as I stood up. I heard a loud _thud!_ behind me. Dizzily, I turned around, the creature stomping toward me. I backed away, only to fall on my butt and tried crawling away.

The creature stopped a few feet before me, staring at me once more with its threatening yellow eyes. I was paralyzed with fear, unable to move anymore. It let out another deafening roar and got ready to kill me. I closed my eyes, let out a scream, and waited for the end. I felt a strong wind blow by. But with my eyes closed, I didn't see, nor did I want to know what was happening. By the time the wind died down, I opened one eye carefully to see if the creature was still there. Seeing that it wasn't, I opened both eyes fully. I was confused as to why the creature didn't kill, but I just couldn't take anymore. My heart beat slowed down so much that I fell forward, unconscious...

* * *

"Is she gonna be okay, Vector?"

"I don't know. She's really out of it."

"She was unconscious when we found her. Who knows what could have happened."

_Voices... I'm hearing voices..._

I slowly woke with a groan, totally unready for the surprise of a lifetime. I looked up and saw three aliens looking back at me! One was a crocodile with amber colored eyes, headphones on his head and gold chains around his neck. The second was a large bumblebee with orange eyes, a helmet on his head and wore an orange vest. The third... I had no idea what it was, but it was purple, had yellow eyes, and a horn on its face!

"Hey! You're awake!" the bumblebee said in a squeaky voice.

I blinked a couple times and then let out a scream, the aliens screaming back. I quickly got up to get away from them, reaching for the nearest thing I could get - which was a desk lamp.

"Calm down, Kid!" the crocodile said in a loud, gruff voice. "You're safe! Nobody's gonna hurt ya!"

I wasn't going to be swayed easily. But then, my left foot started hurting the more pressure I put on it. The purple guy started coming near me slowly. I thought that he was trying to persuade me to calm down, but I quickly swung the desk lamp at him. He quickly backed off before he got hit. When I thought he was trying to talk to me, he was actually moving toward my foot. He gently touched my ankle, and I quickly pulled it away from him. It felt like a thousand nails were piercing through the inside of my foot.

_What's going on with my foot? Why does it hurt so bad?_

"If I may ask," the purple guy started, his voice deep but soothing. "How did you hurt your foot?"

I lowered my weapon, realizing that his intention wasn't to hurt me. "I, um," I quietly stuttered, "sort of, uh, tripped..." I never realized that I hurt my foot the previous night. I guess when it comes to adrenaline, you don't feel any kind of physical pain until it goes down.

"It would probably be best that you sit down so you don't injure your foot more."

I put the desk lamp back and limped back to the couch, sitting down. I looked at the aliens, wondering what they were and where exactly I was planet wise. You would think a walking, talking crocodile would try to eat you. But I guess if it tried reasoning with you, it would make you think that not all animals were cruel, vicious killers. But I wasn't going to let that sway me from the obvious fact that I was still dreaming.

_This just seems so real... Wait a minute! Can't you hear yourself?! This is nothing but a figment of your imaginative dreaming state! Perhaps it was the dinner you ate last night. Yeah, that's it, the dinner. It's given you really weird hallucinations!_

"Now that our guest has calmed down a bit," the crocodile said to his cronies, "we can finally get some information from her." He turned to me. "Alright, Kid, who are ya? You play nice, I'll play nice. If not, well then, we'll just have to see what happens."

"Vector..." the purple guy groaned in annoyance.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"Didn't sound like it to me," the little bee squeaked.

"Who asked you?!"

"Well..." I sheepishly started. "I think it might comfort me... if you tell me where I am." _...This just keeps getting weirder and weirder._

"Well, well, look who's actually cooperating." The croc, known as Vector, cleared his throat before continuing. "You're at the Chaotix Detective Agency, where our policy is, 'We never turn down work that pays.' I'm Vector the Crocodile, the leader of this team. Don't let my looks and my charms fool ya; I'm a mean, green, biting machine."

"My name is Espio the Chameleon," the purple guy spoke calmly. "I'm the brains of this organization. My skills and quick reflexes make me a great ally to this team. I'm smart. I'm swift. I'm quick on my feet." His face showed a smirk. "I also happen to be a ninja."

"He's also full of himself," the bee added.

Espio's smirk faded as he let out an annoyed grunt. "It's better to be full of myself than to be an annoying pipsqueak." I couldn't help but silently laugh a bit.

The bee flew up in my face. "I'm Charmy Bee! I may be small, but I make a perfect addition to the team! I'm the team mascot! But that doesn't mean I don't get the sting on bad guys, especially right in the butt!" He laughed at his own joke, then continued. "So, what's your name?"

"Uh... Um..." I slowly began to realize that what was happening in front of me wasn't a dream at all, that it was actually real, and just reverted to being quiet.

"Hey, how come you went all quiet?" Charmy started poking at my leg.

"She was screaming bloody murder not too long ago," Vector spoke. "Probably doesn't have a name."

Espio looked at his boss. "Or, more possibly, she doesn't feel comfortable enough to give out personal information," he said. I nodded at Espio, signifying that he was right. His smirk returned. "Told you."

"She can tell me, like it's a secret or something," Charmy offered. "I promise I won't tell." I slowly shook my head, letting the little guy know that I wasn't going to say a word. "Aw..."

"If I may," Espio said, holding bandages in his hand. "You sprained your ankle and it needs to heal properly." I nodded for his approval, and he gently wrapped my foot with careful precision. I've been able to hold still long enough for him to finish.

_Okay, let's see if I've got this straight: I've possibly found myself on some other planet, but for all they know I could be a humble resident of this world. These three... guys happened to find me passed out and are wanting to help me. I'm not sure if I can trust them, but I think they don't seem to trust me completely as well. The kid, Charmy seems to think me harmless, but Vector or Espio are still somewhat suspicious. Looks like we'll be keeping a closer eye on one another._

"Alright, if you're not gonna speak, then we'll have to try somethin' else," Vector spoke. "I'll be asking 'yes' or 'no' questions, and you answer with a nod for 'yes', and shake your head for 'no'. Understand?" I nodded. "Good. Now, about last night... When we found you, did you go into some kind of shock?"

I thought a moment, remembering last night, and then nodded.

"Did you see something so horrifying that you thought you were gonna die?"

"Vector..." Espio sighed.

I nodded at Vector.

"See, Espio?" Vector said. "It's just a question, and every one has an answer."

"Not every one," Espio muttered.

Vector continued asking me question after question about what happened the night before. However, some of the questions were kind of ridiculous. Every answer was me shaking my head until the last question struck me. "Did you see a giant monster flying around ready to kill some prey?"

I froze, my eyes wide with fright. I started shaking so bad that Charmy sat on my lap. "She's like a vibrating chair," he squeaked. "Not a good one, though."

"I'm... gonna make that a 'yes'," Vector deduced. "You definitely look like something really spooked ya."

_Gee, thank you, Captain Friggin' Obvious! Where'd you get that assumption?_

"I think that's enough for today, Vector," Espio said. "She's frightened out of her mind."

"Guess you're right," Vector replied, then turned back to me. "You're not exactly a tough nut, Kid, but at least you're honest."

_I feel like I just got complimented, and insulted, at the same time._

"One more question: Do you live anywhere around the area?" I shook my head as I kept shaking in fear.

"Well, Mobius is a pretty big planet," Charmy spoke.

"MOBIUS?!" I yelled, then passed out on the couch.

* * *

When I woke up some time later, they wondered why I suddenly shouted then fainted. I took a deep breath and calmly explained that I was from Earth, not Mobius. Charmy remembered that they were on Earth some time ago before I came by, so they were somewhat familiar about what may have happened. The guys allowed me to stay with them, which was really nice, though I felt that I was going to be some kind of burden.

Later in the evening, everything was dark and quiet. I tried to sleep on the couch as the guys slept upstairs, but - aside from someone snoring, I could probably guess Vector - I couldn't sleep to any avail. I got up and went out to the front porch, sitting on the front steps. I gazed up at the stars, the full moon shining so brightly, the stars sparkling like diamonds. But then a chill fell over me as I remembered that creature was still out there, probably looking for me right that very minute. The one thing I remembered most about it was the eyes, those evil, menacing, predatory eyes...! They still make me shiver a bit to this very day.

As I looked up in the twinkling lights in the darkened sky, I wondered what was happening back at home. Maybe my friends and family sent out search parties to try to look for me, as I had 'mysteriously disappeared' overnight. Who knows? I wasn't there. I didn't know what's going on. All I know is that people are desperately trying to find me. They could possibly be looking at the night sky like I was and wondering what the hell's going on.

_I still can't believe that I'm on a planet known as Mobius. Who knows how far that is from here?! Well, I guess Earth and Mobius are somewhat similar. I mean, if animals could have the same capabilities as humans, just think of all the possibilities. Well, then again, this is an alien planet in which animals _are _people, so I guess they could have the same potential. But then... that thing that's out there... just what in the world was that thing?!_

"The night is interesting, isn't it?"

I turned in surprise to see Espio sitting next to me. I didn't even hear the door open! Then I remembered that he was a ninja, so I assumed he was being quiet and sneaky, as the typical ninja was suppose to be.

"The night interests me," he said looking up at the sky, "because it can do two things at once. The stars tell stories of ages past, show us the constellations, as well as guide us, hence the North Star. It also hides the shadows of danger, making us vulnerable to an attack." He turned to me. "Why are you interested in the night?"

I twiddled my fingers, avoiding his gaze. Even though he had a deep, soothing voice, his look can be somewhat intimidating, I'll admit. When I didn't respond quick enough...

"Is there something you didn't tell us?"

I bit my lip, thinking of the right thing to say. "Well..." I quietly started. "I saw something last night... something really big. I thought... I thought I was dreaming. When it wouldn't go away, I started running..."

"And then you hurt your foot."

I nodded, looking down at my bandaged foot. "When it had me cornered, I thought I was going to die. But the funny thing was, I didn't. It just... disappeared into thin air. I just don't know what would have happened if..." I trailed off.

"Hmm..." The ninja chameleon turned thoughtful a minute. "What did this 'thing' look like?" I told him what the creature looked like, and he sat there thinking and pondering. "I'm not sure that there is such a creature like that around here."

"And if that wasn't bad enough," I continued, "it seemed to give off some kind of cold air."

He raised his eyebrow. "Cold air?"

"Practically if you tried to touch it, your hand would probably freeze off."

"Like I said, I never heard of such a creature." He looked up at the sky a minute. "We should head inside. It's pretty late."

"Yeah, I guess..." We went back inside, Espio heading upstairs and I returning to the couch, curling under the sheets.

_It seems he didn't believe me... Dang it. And I told every scrap of information I could wrap my head around. Oh, well. Can't win 'em all, I guess._


	2. The New Recruit

The next morning when I woke up, Charmy was flying right above me and I let out a little yelp of fright.

"Good morning!" he happily exclaimed. "Are you excited for today?!"

"A-about what?" I quietly asked.

"Glad you asked, Kid," Vector responded, sitting at his desk. "I was mulling over yesterday's 'conversation' last night, and I had an epiphany."

"What's that?" Charmy asked. "Did it hurt?"

"Charmy, an epiphany is the realization of truth," Espio explained.

"Exactly," Vector agreed. "And I realized to make you, Kid, a part of the Chaotix team. Congrats."

"You mean... I'll be working here?" I wondered.

"I'm not sure if she would be up to the task," Espio said calmly. "She just met us yesterday. It might make her nervous."

"And this is the perfect place to toughen up her nerves," Vector countered. "Besides, we can't have her lazing around all day."

_Why are they talking like I'm not here?_ "If I may say something..." I started.

Espio looked over at me.

"Yeah, what?" Vector asked.

"Well, I was just thinking..." I said. "If I'm gonna be working with you guys, then I can't wear my pajamas all the time." I pointed to my clothes. I wore a white spaghetti strap top, which was worn out from me wearing it all the time, and fleece camouflage pajama bottoms - good for comfort and warmth, but not for working in a detective agency.

Vector groaned. "Girls and clothes. I'll see what I have upstairs." He headed up the steps, mumbling and grumbling as he climbed.

_Well, he certainly didn't plan ahead for this. This may end up biting him in the ass one of these days._

"Don't mind Vector," Espio said. "He tends to be irrational sometimes, but you'll get use to it... Or not."

Charmy sat on my head and looked down at Espio. "Hey, Espio! I'm taller than you!" he said with a laugh.

"Standing on someone's head doesn't make you taller, Charmy."

"In this case, it does!" the little bee sang.

At that note, Vector came back down, clothes in hand. "This is gonna have to do until you can get your own clothes," he said. The clothes he had was a plain white short-sleeved T-shirt, a pair of brown denim jeans that appeared to be a size too big, white socks, and a pair of sports shoes, which were definitely good for running.

"Thanks," I quietly said, politely taking the clothes. "Where can I-"

"Upstairs."

And as such, I headed up the stairs. When I reached the top, I saw three beds, two on the right side, one on the left sitting right beneath the window, and a wardrobe that stood across from where I was.

_These guys don't have much, do they? That's actually kind of sad._

I shrugged off my thoughts and started to change. The T-shirt was kinda loose, but it fit well. The jeans were, in fact, two sizes too big - good thing I found a belt just lying around coincidentally; don't know how that was possible since my glasses were no longer with me, therefore making me blind as a bat, but I won't go into detail. At least the shoes were a perfect fit, though. Pretty comfortable. I was going to ask for a hairbrush, but then I remembered that the Mobians (this is Mobius, ergo Mobians) that I was staying with didn't have any hair whatsoever, so I didn't bother. So much for brushing out the hamster nests.

Returning to the main work floor dressed and ready to go, I looked at the crocodile. "So, what are we suppose to do?" I asked.

"Well, usually, nothing happens," he explained. "We all just sit around bored out of our wits until someone comes by or calls us."

"Oh, I see..." _Too lazy to put an advertisement in the paper or on a billboard? Then again..._ I looked around at the room a brief minute. _They don't have many possessions, so that would mean they have even less money - or maybe none at all._

"Do you wanna play a game with me?" Charmy asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, uh, sure," I replied. "What game do you have in mind?"

"How 'bout Janga?" He pulled out a Janga box.

I felt myself show a small smile. "Okay, Janga it is."

We set the game up on the coffee table, Charmy and I taking turns. It was actually quite a long time since I last played the little game with rectangular blocks. But I was pretty careful until one section only had one middle block holding the upper half up. That made it kind of nerve wracking. Block in my hand, I had to carefully put it on the top.

"Careful, don't knock it over," Charmy warned.

Espio shushed him. "You're breaking her concentration," he said.

"Carefully..." I quietly uttered, gently placing the block down, carefully moving my hand back from the less than secure structure. A moment passed, and it didn't fall over. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Awesome!" Charmy cheered. "That's gotta be our tallest tower yet!"

I chuckled a little. _He's a funny little guy. But I wonder why a kid is working in a detective agency? It seems kind of unusual._

There was a knock on the door, and the Janga tower fell, blocks going everywhere. Charmy sadly sighed 'Aw...', and we started picking up the pieces while Espio went to answer the door. Not looking at who was there, I could tell by the sound of the person's voice that it was a woman. After putting the Janga pieces back in the box, I put the game back where Charmy found it. Next thing I knew, Vector nearly ran me over as I started turning to the door. The one who was there was a large orange female rabbit. She wore the most beautiful purple dress, her eyes a perfect shade of mid amber. She appeared to be the same height as Vector, as she clearly stood over Espio. She carried a basket on her arm.

"Why, Ms. Vanilla!" Vector said to her. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

The rabbit, Ms. Vanilla, smiled and replied, "Good day, Detective. I thought today I would..." She trailed off as she looked over Vector's shoulder at me. I immediately started getting embarrassed, and looked at the ground, shuffling my feet a bit. "Detective, who is that girl over there?"

"Huh?" Vector distractedly asked.

"She's a new member of the team," Espio explained for his boss. "We actually found her a couple nights ago. She was unconscious."

"Oh dear," Ms. Vanilla said, obviously concerned. She walked past Vector, stopping in front of me. "You poor thing. You must have been frightened to death."

"...You might say that," I quietly replied, not meeting her gaze. Just then, my stomach decided to growl, making me more embarrassed. _I know I haven't eaten in a couple days, and what's worse, I'm hypoglycemic. I'm surprised I'm still standing._

"Dear, have you eaten anything at all?" Ms. Vanilla asked.

"Our food supply is... currently low at the moment," Espio responded.

"Yeah, Vector lost the rest of our meal tickets," Charmy spoke.

"Quiet, Charmy...!" Vector said, covering the little bee's mouth with his hand.

Ms. Vanilla smiled. "Good thing I decided to come by today," she said. "I would like to invite you all to lunch at my house today. I know how much you all like my cooking."

"Ms. Vanilla, you really are an angel," Vector said, his face showing a slight shade of pink, though Ms. Vanilla didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, Detective, you're too kind." She looked back at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"...Cheyenne," I quietly spoke. "My name is Cheyenne."

"Cheyenne. Such a pretty name. Well then, I shall see you all later." She left, closing the door behind her.

_Ms. Vanilla was really polite and kind. But the way Vector was blushing at the sight of her, I'd say he has a little crush on her. Turns out the croc has a bit of a soft spot, and isn't all mean and green._

"Now, see here, Kid," Vector said to me. "That was a really nice lady you met, and I don't want you to make her feel bad, or else you'll be answerin' to me. Understand?"

"I know she's nice," I said. "And, I couldn't help but notice... I saw you blushing a little while you were talking to her. Do you have a crush on Ms. Vanilla?"

The crocodile's face turned really red as Charmy started laughing at him. "N-NO! I do not!" he stuttered. "She's just a really awesome lady who listens to techno music while baking cookies! If that's not awesome, I don't know what is!"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. I can read you like a book."

"I can hear you blushing from here, Vector," Espio said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Espio!" Vector shouted.

Charmy continued laughing at his boss's humiliating expense.

* * *

Around noon, the Chaotix and I left the detective office to meet at Ms. Vanilla's home for the lunch she invited us to. The route we took was through the forest. I was a bit hesitant, even though it was the middle of the day, but I went along nonetheless. It was actually a peaceful walk, colorful birds chirping. Of course, I learned that the birds were called Flickies (an odd name for a bird if you ask me). Even though the sun was shining, and the Flickies were singing, I was afraid that the giant beast was going to try to attack us. Vector kept saying, 'Oh, relax, Kid. There's nothing here,' but that didn't make me feel any better.

We arrived at Ms. Vanilla's, which at first glance appeared to be quite small. Vector knocked on the door, and the one who answered was another rabbit. She had the same fur and eye color as Ms. Vanilla, and wore a tangerine colored dress. She was also a little girl.

"Hi, Cream!" Charmy exclaimed.

"Hi, Charmy!" the rabbit girl called back.

_Cream, huh? Well, judging by the fur color, I'm gonna take a leap of faith and say that she is Ms. Vanilla's daughter._

At that thought, Ms. Vanilla came to the door. "Perfect timing," she said. "Please, come in. Lunch is almost ready."

We went inside. The place was much bigger inside than it was out. Very fancy, too. It was almost something you would find in a small mansion or large house.

"Excuse me, Miss," the rabbit girl Cream said to me. "May I ask who you are?"

I knelt down to be eye level with her. "My name is Cheyenne," I answered. "What's your name?"

"My name is Cream," she said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Cheyenne!"

I made a small smile. "Nice to meet you, too." I stood back up. _Such a polite little girl. Her mother definitely raised her very well. But I wonder where her father is..._

"Oh, yes! Before I forget," Ms. Vanilla spoke. "There is someone who has been living here for a while now."

Vector's eyes widened a bit, though he kept a smile on his face. "Really," he said, trying to be casual. "Do we know this person?"

"I don't believe so. But he's been so helpful around the house. Tending to the garden, cooking meals, keeping an eye on Cream whenever I'm not home."

The croc's eye began to twitch. "Uh-huh, I see. Does he have a name?"

She was about to respond when someone came in through the door. He looked like a wolf. He had smoky dark gray fur, black hair, eyes that were the color of rubies. He definitely was a different kind of Mobian than that of the others. He didn't have a muzzle color and the snout of a dog, stood at least six feet tall, and didn't wear the white gloves that most Mobians wore, for his hands had long, sharp claws. He wore a brown jacket, but no shirt - from his chest to his waist, as I could tell, his underbelly, as I'll say, was red, and seemed to define his pectorals and abs. He was also wearing blue jeans, but no shoes or socks on his feet. Speaking of which, his feet were humanesque, nearly almost the same as a human's but not quite - all ten toes with also long claws, but were a little more rounded. He looked kind of fierce, but I could somehow tell that he was actually quite friendly.

"Ah, speak of the devil," Ms. Vanilla spoke. "This is Zephyr Timberwolf. He's from the quiet town called Bridgeport. Zephyr, these are the detectives I told you about."

"Hi!" Charmy said, then flew up to him, looking at him from head to foot, front and back. "You're really cool looking."

"Charmy, sit down!" Vector snapped.

"Oh, it's fine," Zephyr spoke coolly. "I like kids, anyway." He looked over to me. "You must be the new detective, yes?" His voice was deep, but not as deep as Espio's, perhaps a couple octaves up. It almost sounded like a dove cooing.

I nodded my head in response to his question.

"So, Zephyr," Vector spoke. "How long you been in town for?"

"Only a few months," Zephyr replied. "Everything in the big city was already taken, so I kept moving until I collapsed around here. Then Ms. Vanilla found me, took me in. She's really lent a hand to me, such a good soul."

"Oh, Zephyr, you're really too kind," Ms. Vanilla said modestly with a small laugh.

I looked over at Vector, and he was not happy. His eye twitched really bad, and I swear I could see his blood boiling beneath his skin. _Uh-oh. I think he might have some competition against Zephyr._

"In that case," Ms. Vanilla continued, "it's time for lunch. Cream, dear, let's get the food from the kitchen."

"Yes, Momma," Cream replied, following her mother to the kitchen.

"Such a kind woman," Zephyr said admiringly. "If only there were more like her."

"Alright, that's it," Vector said, standing up and ready to kill. "Look here, pal-"

"Vector, don't do anything brash," Espio said, trying to hold his boss back.

"It's okay," Zephyr said. "He's merely jealous that I've been living here with the one he has a crush on and possibly thinks that I'm taking advantage of her kindness, which I'm not. He's also worried that she will fall for me, but she never had those feelings toward me, not once."

Vector seemed to relax a bit, sitting back down. "Alright then," he said. "As long as we understand each other." Then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute, how'd you-"

"You're like a book. I can easily read you."

"That's what the Kid said earlier!"

The wolf looked over at me again, making me nervous.

_Why is he staring at me like that? It's really making me uncomfortable. _As if hearing my thoughts, he stopped looking at me. _What the hell?! Is he some sort of mind reader?! If he is, that's both fascinating and creepy._

* * *

During lunch at Ms. Vanilla's, I just couldn't help but feel that something was off. Zephyr seemed like a nice guy, but I've somewhat known that every action has an intended purpose. Other than being a different kind of Mobian, I couldn't help feeling that Zephyr was hiding something, but I never said a word. I kept to myself, complimenting on how delicious the food was from time to time, trying to keep up the conversation. I figured if Zephyr could read minds, then I had to mind what I was thinking around him.

"Chao, chao!" A little blue creature with a little red bowtie came flying out of nowhere, straight into Cream's arms. It was nothing I've seen before. It was actually adorable.

"Cheese!" Cream exclaimed happily, holding the little thing tightly.

"Chao!" the little creature happily exclaimed.

"What little creature is that?" I asked Cream. "It's kinda cute."

"This is my Chao, Cheese," she said.

"Chao, huh?"

"You don't know what a Chao is?" Zephyr asked.

"I'm... not exactly from the area," I answered. "So I'm not familiar with the wildlife around here."

"Chao, chao." Cheese pulled out a letter, handing it to Ms. Vanilla.

"What's this?" she wondered, taking the letter from the Chao and opening it. She pulled out the paper inside, starting to read it, a confused look forming upon her face. "This is unusual."

"What's wrong, Momma?" Cream asked.

At that moment, an explosion came from outside, everything in the house violently shaking.

"What's going on, Vector?" Charmy asked.

"There's only one person we know who would make a loud entrance like that," Vector said. "And that person is right outside." The croc stood up. "C'mon boys!"

"Okay!" Charmy squeaked excitedly.

"Roger," Espio spoke.

Vector looked over at me. "You're stayin' here, Kid," he said.

"I thought I was a part of the team," I said.

"You are! But since you're just a rookie, you're gonna have to stay back. And possibly take a few notes."

The three detectives went outside to see what the commotion was, and yet there I was, a rookie detective, missing all the action. One part of me said to just stay inside and wait patiently and pray for their safety. The other part of me wasn't so rational, so I bolted out the door after them.


	3. The Creature Returns

Heading outside, I saw about a dozen or two of robots swarming around the area! I hid behind a building as to avoid not being seen by either robots or detectives.

_That's a whole crap load of robots! Whoever made these definitely had too much free time on his hands._

"WUAAAH! Don't let him get me!" Charmy cried, trying to escape from the robots chasing him.

"Charmy, we're suppose to be professional! Stay focused!" Vector yelled, taking out two robots at once by bashing their heads in.

"We've seen the minions... now we wait for their master," Espio said coolly, throwing a few shuriken into the horde, making them explode.

_Their master... I wonder who-_

Just then, the sound of maniacal laughter came from the air. "Well well, if it isn't the loser detectives. How quaint for you to show up." I looked up and saw a fat human man with a big nose, balding head, and orange bushy mustache flying inside a little aircraft, and a little blue robot sidekick hovering by his side.

"Alright, Eggman, what's your game?" Vector questioned the man.

_Eggman...?_

"If you must know, _alligator_," the man called Eggman replied, "a couple nights ago, there was some strong energy signals in the forest, and-"

"I am NOT an alligator!"

"LET ME FINISH, YOU THICK-HEADED BRUTE!"

"YEAH! LET 'IM FINISH!" the robot yelled.

_Geez, the fat man's got a temper. And that robot's no better._

Eggman cleared his throat. "Anyways, before I was so rudely interrupted, there were strong energy signals in the forest on that night, and I intended to find and use it for my Eggman Empire! But when I got there the next morning, it was gone. But I've been able to track it down here, so it can't be too far. I know you three have something to do with it, so confess now, and maybe I'll let you live."

"We don't know what you're talking about, Egghead!" Charmy yelled.

"Don't lie to me, you little brat, or I shall destroy you and your teammates where you stand!"

"Doctor, Doctor!" the little robot exclaimed. "According to the tracker, the energy source is right over there behind that building!" He pointed to the building I was at. I looked around me, trying to see if he was pointing at something.

_Oh, boy... He better mean that it's behind me..._

"Excellent, Bokkun!" Eggman happily said. "This is why your my favorite henchbot."

_Crap crap crap crap CRAP!_

Out of the blue, two robots appeared behind me, dragging me out into the open. I tried to struggle free, but to no avail. "Let me go!" I shouted. "Let me go!"

"Well well, look what we have here," Eggman said as he flew closer to me. "A little spy. And a human one at that. How rare."

"Leave her alone!" Vector shouted. "The Kid's just a rookie! She doesn't know a thing!"

"Oh, I'm sure she doesn't." The evil man looked at me from top to bottom, a smirk planted on his face. "Tell me, my dear, do you know anything about a strange power flux that, oh I don't know, has made a major disturbance on the environment? A change in weather, anything like that at all?"

"I... I don't know..." I stuttered, "anything, I just-"

"So what you're saying is that you didn't come across the supernatural forces that make up the entirety of the world, because it seems to me, my dear..." He chuckled for a moment. "It seems that the energy signature I was searching for is inside you."

"M-M-M-Me?!"

"Her?!" the Chaotix exclaimed in surprise.

The mad man turned to the detectives. "Yes her!"

"Kid, did you know about it?" Vector asked me.

"Why are you asking me?!" I shouted. "_I_ barely understand what's going on!"

"Does this mean you're gonna kill her, Doctor?" the robot called Bokkun asked.

_KILL?!_

"Are you crazy?!" Eggman yelled. "She'll be the power source for the future Eggman Empire, so she must be kept alive."

"You are a psychopath!" I shouted. "You would kill off everyone else to create this 'Eggman Empire' and destroy the society that everyone else has built, yet you want me alive just so I could suffer at your hands! You're nothing more than a lowlife with a really bad mustache!"

"WHAT?! How dare you! I keep my mustache nice and trim!"

"No split ends, either!" Bokkun said with a smile. "It's that perfect!"

"You are such a narcissistic egomaniac!" I continued. "And you have too much free time making these robots to have them do their dirty work for you - shoddy work at best!"

"Silence, you brat! Insulting my mustache is one thing, but my creations are flawless!"

"A flawless hunk of junk!" Charmy shouted, then stung Eggman's hand.

"YOW!"

Vector came from the side, crushing the robots with his large teeth, the robots' servos releasing me. Those jaws had got to have been made of iron and steel if they can crush mechanical menaces such as those.

"These pearly whites ain't just for show, ya know," the croc said.

"I can tell," I said.

"And I thought I told ya to stay inside!"

"You also said that I should 'take notes!'"

"Whatever, Kid, just don't get in the way." He ran back into the fray of battle, helping out his teammates, and I stood there alone once more.

_I don't get it. He wanted me to observe how the business worked, and yet I get yelled at. What is his problem, anyway?_

I stood in the background as the detectives fought off the robot horde. As they were fighting, little Bokkun flew up to me.

"Your friends are gonna die," he said. "So why bother watching anyway?"

_That little robot is seriously annoying, more so than Eggman. _"You seem like the little suck-up to me," I blankly said.

"Wh-What...?" His robotic eyes widened.

"Not only is it your primary directive to do anything your creator tells you, you suck up to him just to make him like you. But it seems he's always pushing you away, and no matter what you say or do, he just doesn't listen or ignores you completely. Overall, your sucking up... it's just not working for you at all."

His lips quivered, as if he was about to start crying. "Shut up! You don't know anything! Dr. Eggman really likes me and I know he would never dismantle me for spare parts!"

I raised my eyebrow curiously at him. _He really believes that Eggman wouldn't scrap him the first chance he gets. I'm not sure whether to be sorry and apologize or smack him out of his delusional fantasy._

"BOKKUN! RETREAT!" Eggman yelled.

"Coming, Doctor!" Bokkun called, then turned to me. "Later, loser!" He laughed as he took to the sky, following his creator.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Cheyenne?" Ms. Vanilla asked. "We were really worried about you."

"I'm fine," I said. "I wasn't scared, really. It was more of a surprise if anything." We returned to inside Ms. Vanilla's house, sitting around the living room.

"You shouldn't have gone out there in the first place," Vector said. "You could've gotten hurt!"

"She was worried that you guys were the ones who were gonna get hurt," Zephyr said.

"Huh?" everyone asked, looking at Zephyr.

"What do you mean?" Espio asked.

"Basically, it's like this," Zephyr said, then looked over at me. "Cheyenne, right? Being a new member of the team, your leader gave you a direct order. What were you thinking at the time?"

"Well..." I started. "At first, I stayed because Vector's my leader and I was supposed to follow his instruction, and that was just one part of me saying to stay and hope for their safety."

"Anything else?"

"...The other part of me wasn't quite as... rational. It said to make sure that my... new teammates didn't get hurt, or worse. That was when I went outside."

Zephyr looked at Vector. "Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"What makes sense?" Vector asked. "She disobeyed an order from her leader. How is that supposed to make sense?"

"She acted on her own intuition rather than follow instruction."

_How the hell did he know that?! Unless he _did_ read my mind...!_

"What does that mean?" Charmy asked, sitting atop of my head.

"It means that she was doing what she thought was right," Espio explained.

"Exactly," Zephyr said.

"Well, Kid, is that true?" Vector asked me.

_Oh, yeah, no pressure or anything..._ I took a deep breath. "It's true," I said. "I just felt that something was wrong, and I... I guess you could say I wasn't in complete control." I nervously laughed a little.

"It seems you found someone with a good heart, Detective," Ms. Vanilla said to the croc. "A very good heart."

"It would seem so," Vector said, a fake smile on his face.

_He's mad. Really mad._

The four of us thanked Ms. Vanilla for the lunch, apologized for the sudden robot swarm, and started back for the agency. The sun had started to set as we traveled through the forest. As we walked, I looked at the ground, watching my feet move across the still earth.

_My first day as a detective, and I really screwed it up. If it wasn't for that Eggman guy, things would have gone a whole lot better. I just hope tomorrow will be better._

"Today was pretty interesting, wasn't it, boys?" Vector spoke.

"Yeah," Charmy said. "Why did Eggman come out of nowhere like that?"

"I don't know, but he seemed really interested in the Kid for some odd reason."

"Don't blame me and my 'strong energy signatures,'" I said. "I didn't know what was going on exactly."

"Eggman had to have been planning something if he was following us," Espio theorized. "Of course, whenever it comes to Eggman, things are never good."

"Does that guy build robots as a hobby, or does he have so much free time on his hands that he thought one day, 'I know what I'll do with my pathetic life! I'll use my crummy creations to try to take over the world, no matter how many times I'll miserably fail!'" I said in a mock Eggman voice.

Charmy laughed, Vector chuckled a bit, and Espio smiled.

"That's a good one, Kid," Vector said. "But comedy can only get ya so far. It takes gumption, guts, and skills to work in the detective business. And it just so happens that I have all three."

"I thought the only skill you have was trying to sing but failing at it," Charmy said.

"SHUT UP, CHARMY! WHO ASKED YOU?!"

"You don't have to yell, Vector," Espio said. "We don't need any more unwanted attention."

"Relax, Espio. You worry too much."

"Yeah, you worry too much," Charmy spoke, agreeing with his boss.

"I worry the right amount," Espio countered.

"Besides Espio, there's nothin' else that could go wrong," Vector said.

The chameleon face-palmed. "You really shouldn't have said that."

_The three contrast each other so much. I'm not sure I want to laugh or send them all to a psychiatrist to get them help._

The air suddenly turned cold, making me shiver. "It turned chilly quickly," I said, rubbing my arms.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Vector asked.

"Aren't you cold?"

"No, but you're really shivering."

"It could be shock from earlier," Espio guessed.

I shook my head. "No, I really mean that it's cold out here. Don't you guys feel the chill in the air?"

"What chill?" Vector asked. "Are you running a fever?"

Just then, a familiar roar echoed through the forest. I was instantly paralyzed with fear.

"What was that?" Charmy asked.

"Probably just a wolverine," Vector said.

"That was no wolverine," I said slowly, eyes wide with fear.

"Then what was-"

The roar drew closer, louder. My beat so fast that it was like a hummingbird flying inside my chest.

"Let's just keep going," I quickly said, walking past the guys.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Vector said, grabbing my arm. "What's gotten into ya, Kid?"

"Let's just go, NOW!"

"You're really shaking," Espio observed, then turned to his boss. "Whatever that was, it's really scaring her. We should head back to the office ASAP."

"Ugh, fine," Vector groaned, "but if we're about to be eaten a pack of wild dogs, I don't wanna hear it."

We continued walking, but at a slightly faster pace. I looked around, trying to hear where the roar was coming from. _That monster is here! I know it is! Espio will have to believe me!_

Just then, the ground began to quake, causing Vector, Espio and I to fall to the ground.

"What's going on?!" Espio asked.

"Look! Over there!" Charmy pointed to the horizon.

There was a blot in the sky that covered the sun and then, landing in front of us was the giant monster! I let out a scream - big mistake. It looked right at me, recognized me, and its eyes glowed that terrible yellow.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Vector yelled.

The monster let out a roar, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

"It's gonna kill us!" Charmy yelled.

I stood back up and took off in a run, leaving the Chaotix. As I ran, I looked behind me, the creature running after me. I suddenly tripped, falling to the ground. I scooted away as I gazed at the creature in fear. The eyes of the creature had a blood lust that could not be contained a moment longer as I saw my life flash before my eyes.

_This is the end..._

Suddenly, Zephyr fell from above, standing between me and the monster.

"I thought I told you to leave this place," he said to the creature. "You wouldn't want another lesson to be taught like last time, do ya?"

_What is he doing?! That thing's gonna eat him!_

The creature let out a small roar as its response, but took a few steps back and took off into the sky. Zephyr turned back to me.

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned, holding out a hand to help me up.

I nodded, taking his hand. "I am, thanks, but why did you help me?" I quietly asked. "I barely know you."

He was about to respond when Vector's voice called out for me. We turned and saw the Chaotix running toward us.

"You alright, Kid?" Vector asked.

I nodded. "Zephyr saved me," I said. "That monster seemed to be afraid of him."

"That monster was afraid of Zephyr?" Charmy asked. "That just makes Zephyr even more awesome!"

"It seems you were right about that creature, Cheyenne," Espio said, then bowed. "Forgive me for being ignorant."

"It's okay," I said. "Really."

"I still don't know what that... thing was," Vector said.

"I know what he was," Zephyr said.

"He?" we all asked.

"That creature we all saw... was an Immortal."

"You mean, like, a god?" I asked.

"That's right. His name is Kyurem, the Unknown God, Dragon of Ice. It's said that his dragon form is nothing but a remaining shell from Reshiram and Zekrom's dragon forms."

_Kyurem? Reshiram? Zekrom?_ _Everything he's saying isn't making any sort of sense to me. But I feel like I should know it..._

"How do you know all this?" Espio asked Zephyr.

"I've read a lot of books on Mythology and Mobian Folklore," Zephyr replied. "And it seems Kyurem's making himself acquainted with one of us." He glanced over at me.

"I don't get it," Vector spoke. "What's so special about the Kid?"

"There's nothing special about me," I said. "That thing, Kyurem, was trying to kill me because I'm his prey."

"Impossible," Zephyr countered. "I read that Immortals never go after mortal people as prey. That goes against their code of law. There has to be something special about you, Cheyenne, if Kyurem's taken a shine to you."

I tried to think, but nothing came to mind. I tried to speak, but not a single word could form.

"Until we learn otherwise, everyone would have to take precautions in case Kyurem makes another comeback." He turned to me. "Just try and be careful, okay, Cheyenne?"

_I honestly have no idea what's going on..._ "Alright," I said. "I'll be careful."

* * *

Later that evening, I stared up at the ceiling, trying to take in what Zephyr had just said.

_So let's see if I have this straight: the monster that attacked me that first night was a god named Kyurem and Zephyr seems to know everything there is about Gods, or Immortals as he called them. The weirdest part about the whole endeavor is Kyurem going after me because I'm apparently something special. But what could be special about me? I'm just a normal girl who ended up on a strange alien planet for some oddball reason. __Wait a minute... I'm from Earth, and Kyurem somehow seemed to know that I wasn't a native to Mobius. I'll talk to Zephyr tomorrow and we can find the reason why I was brought here, why Kyurem was going after me and only me. _

"There has got to be a reason for everything that's happened to me so far," I quietly said to myself, sitting upright, "why these events have been happening. Tomorrow, I'll find everything I need to know."


	4. Getting Down to Business

Early the next morning, when the sun had barely risen, I got up, changed clothes, wrote a note about my whereabouts in case the guys were to ask questions, and headed out. My ankle didn't hurt as much as it had the other day, so I was able to walk quickly. I barely slept the night before. Questions about divine entities visiting the mortal world just to see me buzzed in my head like flies buzzed around one's head; persistent, annoying, and no matter how many times you swatted them away, they just kept coming back. I knew Zephyr had the answers, and I wasn't going to rest until we could figure out why I was there and why the god called Kyurem was trying to kill me and me alone.

I arrived at Ms. Vanilla's when the sun was a bit more into the sky. I didn't want to disturb anyone in case they were still asleep, but I felt the only way to get someone's attention was to knock on the door. I knocked lightly at first and waited a moment. I knocked a bit harder and waited. I was about to knock a third time when the door opened, revealing Zephyr.

"I somehow knew you'd come here," he said, then looked around. "Where're the other detectives?"

"I thought about it a lot last night," I explained, "and I thought that it's best that I find out what's going on by myself."

He looked at me curiously, eyebrow raised, then smiled. "I understand. But why-?" He paused, shaking his head. "Never mind. So, what do you wanna learn?"

"Everything, from beginning to end."

Zephyr turned thoughtful a moment, rubbing the back of his neck in uncertainty. "I don't know, my memory might be a bit rusty."

"Please, Zephyr?" I pleadingly looked up at him. "I really want to know."

"You're kinda twisting my arm... but I'll do what I can."

I smiled brightly. "Thank you, thank you!"

* * *

For the entire morning, Zephyr explained that Mobius had multiple deities, no matter where you were on the planet, and in size can range from an average sized stuffed teddy bear to a large mountain. In fact, I can name a few right off the bat: Victini the god of victory, Dialga the god of time, Arceus the Creator God. I wasn't sure if the Chaotix had seen my note yet, but I didn't care. I was too intrigued and excited by how much I was learning. I never had been more excited about learning anything in my entire life.

Around noon, Zephyr and I were in a different part of the forest sitting by a small brook, him continuing to talk about the stories and legends behind the different gods until I decided to interject.

"I guess since Ho-oh's a wish fulfiller and Jirachi's a wish maker," he explained, "they perform the same basic duties, basically going hand-in-hand."

"This is really fascinating stuff," I said, "but I want to get to the main subject."

"Alright then," he said with a casual smile. "Fire away."

"Well... why is it that gods can't hunt down mortals as prey?"

"Immortals take their laws pretty seriously, so for any one of them to turn animalistic and try to kill a mortal, innocent or not, is susceptible for severe punishment."

"But Kyurem tried to kill me TWICE. He should've been punished the first time around."

"...I know."

I blinked in surprise. "You know?" I looked at him about a minute, then I laughed a little. "Very funny. I know you only saved me from Kyurem once... right?"

He looked at the ground in what appeared to be guilt. "I've got a confession to make. I saw Kyurem go after you that night. I followed you both through the forest as he chased you. Why he didn't kill you... is because of me."

_Him?_ "You? But how did you do it?"

"It's... really hard to explain. I honestly can't tell you."

I shot an angry look at him. "Why not? You told me all this other stuff, so why can't you answer a simple a question?"

He looked angrily back at me, crossing his arms. "I don't have to tell you anything, you know. Besides, what I did is secret."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, _sure_ it is. And it's this 'secret' that made Kyurem terrified of you."

He was about to say something, but he stopped himself and looked at me a moment. Then he started laughing.

_What the hell is he laughing about?_

"What I'm laughing about is that fact that you're tougher and smarter than you're letting on." His eyes widened as if he made a mistake and put a hand over his mouth.

"AHA!" I pointed. "I knew you could read minds! I knew it!"

He removed his hand and gave a smug look. "Mobians have different kinds of abilities. Did you know that Espio can camouflage himself, and Vector can breathe fire?"

"I didn't... until now. I would've known about those abilities if you hadn't opened your big mouth to me, so that proves that you aren't a normal mind reader!"

"So what if I'm not! Big deal!" He let out an annoyed, angry sigh. "Look, I've told you everything you needed to know, so I think we're done here."

"No, we're not. I know you're not a normal Mobian, so there must be something about you if a god, aka Kyurem, would back away from you in fear."

Zephyr just growled as he stared angrily.

_He's going to have to give in sometime..._

"Zephyr? Is that you?"

We turned and saw a grayish-white hedgehog with crazy looking quills approach us. He had gold-yellow eyes, gold bracelets with an aqua colored line running through it, and knee high boots. On his palms was an aqua symbol that wasn't familiar to me.

"Oh, hey, Silver," Zephyr said with a smile. "Didn't hear ya coming."

Silver looked over at me. "Who's this?"

"This is Cheyenne. She's kinda shy, so she might not talk much."

"Hi," I said politely smiling. "Nice to meet ya."

"Likewise," Silver replied with a smile, then turned back to Zephyr. "Any luck trying to find out why Kyurem attacked?"

Zephyr's response was dropping a hand on my shoulder.

"Her? But... she's mortal. Why would Kyurem go after a mortal?"

"Yeah, Zephyr," I said. "Why would Kyurem go after a mortal? Unless I'm anything special - which I'm not."

Silver looked closer at me. "You're... not from Mobius, are you?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not. How do you-"

"Zephyr, can I talk with her alone for a minute?"

"Uh, sure, I guess," Zephyr said as he stood up and walked away from us.

"Listen, Cheyenne, have you had any... unusual dreams lately?" Silver asked.

I thought a moment. "Well, there was this one... I heard a man's voice, didn't know whose, and he said I should go to a temple or something." I looked back at Silver. "Why do you want to know about what I've dreamt about?"

He looked around a moment, making sure no one was listening. "I'll see you later, okay?" Just then, an aqua colored glow formed around him, and he started floating in midair, and then flew away in another direction.

_Some kind of telekinetic ability... That's cool. But why would Silver ask about what I've been dreaming? Geez, first Zephyr acts all weird, and now Silver? I feel like I walked in the middle of a mystery novel or something of the sort._

* * *

When I returned to Chaotix later in the day, Vector was really pissed that I left the building and 'missed an entire day of work,' followed by reassurance from Espio that nothing eventful had happened. Good news: they had seen the note and started asking me all sorts of questions. All I could say to them was that not everything was as it seemed. Of course, Vector and Charmy were confused. Espio was also puzzled, but not as much.

Later that evening, I was woken out of my sleep by a _tap! tap! tap!_ on the window. I sleepily looked up and saw a familiar shape looking through the window. Silver's crazy quills gave him away, even though he looked like a blurred blob. I stumbled off the couch and walked to the door. When I opened it to try and see him, he had just... disappeared. From the corner of my eye, I saw the familiar aqua glow and started to follow it. He seemed to be leading me somewhere, I thought. So I followed him through the woods. It seemed like hours that I followed him left, right, up, down, to, fro... that until the glow had faded and disappeared, leaving me alone in the blackness of the trees.

I looked up suddenly and saw what appeared to be an ancient temple, as foretold in my dream. It seemed decrepit and slowly falling apart. I started getting the feeling that I have seen this place before, once long ago in fact. But there was no way, I told myself. This was the first I've ever seen of it. I slowly walked up to it, seeing mysterious tribal pictographs all over the wall. They appeared to be of different animals, like birds, though some were more complex. I ran my hands along each pictograph until one I had barely passed by let off a faint white glow. Curious, I raised my hand over it, and it glowed immensely. Gently pressing my hand down on it, I heard a kind of clicking sound, and a door opened. My curiosity got the best of me, and I went inside. The outside of the temple looked like it was about to cave in on itself, but the inside looked as if it were new. Both sides of the room were lit by torches on the walls, seemed to have been just lit.

A few steps in, and the door had slammed close behind me. I turned around, trying to find where it had opened, but to no avail. I realized that I had to go forward to go back, and that I did. As I walked, there were portraits of men, women, and children, all with unique clothing and hairstyles, skin tones, eye colors, the works. There weren't names to any of the portraits, but I still thought that they were pretty cool. Ahead of me was a large room, so I decided to check it out. Both curiosity and confusion flooded through my body as I entered the room, which appeared to be empty. I looked all around, not realizing that I was being watched.

"GERONIMO!"

_Geronimo?_ I looked up and saw someone falling at me. Whoever it was tackled me to the ground, standing on my stomach in victory.

"Orright, Sheila! I got your number!"

_Sheila?_ I looked up and saw that it was a brown raccoon with sky blue eyes, wearing a green sleeveless top and black shorts. She had little pigtails in the shape of boomerangs. My best guess was that she was a little kid, like Cream and Charmy.

"You dare to intrude Cap'n Marine's secret hideout? Well then, you're gonna have to take me on in a ripper contest!"

_Captain?_ "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"The name's Cap'n Marine, Sheila, and you discovered my secret hideout! Prepare to meet your maker!"

I grabbed her up as I stood back on my feet. "You look a little too young to be a captain."

"OY! I'll show you who's a little too young to be captain!" As she yelled, she flailed her arms and legs, trying to be let free.

"Marine, that's enough."

We looked up and on the upper level was a purple cat with the same eye color with gold-yellow eyes, feathers on her head and a red jewel on her forehead. Her clothes looked completely exotic, as if she was from a different country.

"Aw, c'mon Blaze," Marine said to the cat. "I was only kidding around."

The cat glanced over at me. "You're the one Silver talked about, aren't you?" She paused, apparently sizing me up. "You're definitely not from Mobius at all."

I gently let Marine down, still looking up at her. "Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Blaze. That's all you need to know."

"Speaking of Silver," Marine spoke, "where is that bloke, anyhow? You think he got lost?"

"What is this place?" I asked Blaze. "Why am I here?"

"This place is known as the Temple of Hajime," Blaze answered. "It was used to train Immortals, to help them use their divine gifts for the good of the world, so said Arceus."

"Arceus? You mean the Creator God?"

"Yes. He was the one who had shaped the world we know, and had created the others over time to make Mobius the world that it is today, even though a few were created or modified by humans and Mobians alike. There are those who stay within the world as guardians, watching us, protecting us."

"But why am I here?" I asked. "I've been on Mobius less than a week, and all this strange crap has been happening to me. Why?!"

At that moment, Silver came floating down, landing next to Blaze. "He'll be here in a moment," he said to her.

"Good," Blaze said.

"Silver!" I yelled.

He looked down at me, a nervous smile on his face. "Oh, uh, hi, Cheyenne."

_Alright, enough is enough_. "Silver, what the hell is going on? Why does everyone seem to think that I'm some sort of special case when I'm clearly not!"

"That is where you are wrong."

_Who... who said that?_

Standing at the end of the room was a full grown human man, wearing white and gold formal tribal robes decorated with oval shaped jades, his eyes green with red pupils. On his head was a crown with the same jades, his skin pale, his hair white with gray underneath. I saw his portrait on the wall!

"Who... who are you?" I asked in awe.

"My name is Arceus," said the man in a calm voice.

"Arceus...! As in the creator! I saw your portrait in the other room!"

He showed a soft smile. "Yes. You have heard of me, I presume."

"Finally, I can get some answers! Can you please, please, PLEASE tell me why I'm here?"

"But of course, Cheyenne. You are here for your basic training."

"Yeah, that's right! I'm here for..." I paused. "What?"

"That is why you are here, are you not? For your training."

"Training? Wh-What training?"

"Your training... as an Immortal."


	5. Oh, My Gods!

I remained still, Arceus's words still echoing in my mind. "Wh-What do you mean?" I stuttered. "This is some sort of sick joke, isn't it?" I glanced up at Silver and Blaze. "Silver, why would you even pull a stunt like this? I barely know you." The two just glanced at each other, and that only made me so angry that tears started forming in my eyes. I looked back at Arceus. "There's gotta be some kind of misunderstanding. I'm not a god!"

"But you are," Arceus said calmly. "You're the daughter of one of the Immortals of Mobius, making you half-Immortal."

"BULLSHIT! THIS IS NOTHING BUT A LIE! IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE!" I was so mad and upset, I thought I was going to breathe fire.

"If it were a lie, would I be standing right here in front of you? Or would you rather think that you were still dreaming and try to make this all go away?"

As he talked, I felt myself calming down, tears of anger starting to run down my face. "How long?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How long have I been... like this?"

"Your whole life."

"Why am I here now?"

"As I said, to train, to use your powers."

"I don't even know what powers I have...!"

"It will take some time, but they will come to you eventually. That's why you've come to the Temple of Hajime, to begin training. Silver and Blaze will be your teachers." Marine cleared her throat, as if she was being left out. "And of course, Marine shall be there for moral support."

"You're darn right, mate!" Marine spoke.

"There's so much I don't understand..." I said. "How come I haven't used these 'powers' before on Earth? Why do I have to learn them here?"

"Both good questions. Unfortunately, I'm not the one to answer them. You shall have to ask your father."

I raised a confused eyebrow. "My father? But my dad would've told me if he-"

"Not your mortal father."

"Oh. And, uh, who might my... immortal father be?"

"Reshiram." He vanished away, possibly teleported I would have to say. But the name Reshiram...

_I heard that name from Zephyr. He said something about Reshiram and another god leaving Kyurem an empty shell or something like that._

"I'm surprised you're taking this pretty well," Silver said as he floated down in front of me, followed by Blaze who jumped down, landing on her feet.

"I... so confusing," I managed to utter. "Very puzzled..."

"It's a little hard to take in, I know, but it'll be okay."

I blinked a couple times, my senses returning as I looked down at Blaze and Silver. I guess I should have mentioned before that most of the Mobians I've come across were likely knee high - three feet tall or shorter, while other Mobians were about my height or more. I wanted to point out how short they were, but then thought that would've been rude. "Why did Arceus make you two my teachers?"

"Marine and I aren't from this dimension," Blaze explained. "And Silver's from the future."

"You would've loved the Sol Dimension!" Marine squeaked. "Especially my place! It's got a radio tower, a lighthouse, a dinosaur-"

"Alright, Marine, settle down," Silver spoke, then looked up at me. "Are you sure you're okay with everything, Cheyenne?"

"Barely three days," I said as I started to pace around the room, "and I find out..." I chuckled a little to try to ease the tension within me. "It's a little much to take in. Now, if I were really the daughter of a god, how come I haven't destroyed any buildings with my so-called powers?"

"If I can remember, those that are half-Immortal, they would need to be a certain age for them to actually try and use their powers, that age being 18. They would have to come here to train, no matter where they were in the universe. After completing basic training, they go out and see what other powers they could possibly have, ranging from elemental abilities to telepathy, telekinesis, or more. And then the day would arrive when they become a new Immortal of a given title."

"Oy, Silver, you said a mouthful," Marine spoke with a yawn. "I was about to fall asleep."

I started to feel my mind walk the very, _very _thin line between reality and insane fantasy, and I didn't want to stumble into either part, for I couldn't confirm nor deny if anything was real or not.

"It's pretty late," Blaze spoke to me. "You should head back now."

_By myself? In the dark? Where I'm Kyurem bait? I don't think so!_ "Uh, I don't know if that's a good idea..."

Blaze looked back at Silver, as if telepathically telling him to do something.

"No worries, Cheyenne," Silver said to me, the aqua glow forming around his hands. "I've got ya covered."

A small smile grew on my face. "Thank you..."

* * *

Silver was able to lead me through the dark, creepy forest without anyone trying to attack us, successfully leading back to the Chaotix Detective Agency. Before I went inside, Silver stopped me.

"I know that you'd want to tell them what happened," he said knowingly, "but the thing is... you can't."

"Why not?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"See, Immortals tend to - no, _prefer_ to live in secret. And if any mortal were to know about their whereabouts, well... It won't only hurt them, but it would hurt you, too."

I only grew more confused. "What, are you saying that I have to keep it a secret?"

"In order to protect others, you have to protect yourself." He turned his back to me. "I'll see you in a week. That's when your training starts." He started levitating, and then hovered away.

_In order to protect others... you have to protect yourself? In other words, I don't breathe a single word about... all of this to anyone. _Knowing that the guys were still asleep, I quietly opened the door, tiptoeing inside, gently closed the door behind me and tiptoed to the couch, curling back under the covers. I let out a quiet sigh. _Guess I'll count the days until I go insane._

About four days passed since my... recent 'discovery.' I knew how to keep a secret, but with each passing day, I wanted to tell so very bad. And every time I wanted to tell them, I had to remember what Silver said and bit the inside of my cheek to keep the reminder there. I tried acting normal as I possibly could, but Espio saw right through my façade and, when we were alone, impaled me with questions as to what I was hiding. I just told him that I was fine and there was nothing to worry about. He never bought it. Then I told him that it was rude to poke his horn into other peoples' business, detective or not. He backed off a little and told me that if I ever needed to talk, I should come to him since Vector has too big of a mouth and would try to listen but not really, and Charmy's just a kid and quite wouldn't understand. I agree.

One day before my training. The leaves were really falling. 'Twas Autumn at the time. I hadn't noticed the leaves falling until a couple days ago when I saw them turning red, orange and brown. After a while, I found myself saying things in Shakespearean; usually, I'd say only a little, but it seemed to really pronounce itself a little more each day. Of course, once again, I tried to control it. Must've gotten that from this Reshiram, I thought to myself. I was sort of hoping for a call or something at the agency. Well, there was this one call, and it had something to do with either a cat in a tree or some kind of explosive device - I can't quite remember the details.

Then, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Hey, Kid, get that, will ya?" Vector said, leaning back in his chair.

"Sure," I quietly replied, walking to the door. I opened it, and Zephyr stood there. "Oh, uh, hi, Zephyr."

"Hey there," he said with a smile.

"Zephyr!" Charmy exclaimed excitedly as he flew past me to see the wolf.

"Hey, little bug." He tussled the bee's helmeted head, making it askew. "How ya been?"

"I'm okay."

He looked back at me. "Mind if I come in?"

"Oh, uh, of course not," I said. "Please come in." I stepped to the side and let the wolf enter the office. _I'm pretty sure that he's gonna comment on how small the place is._ The office was kinda small - decorated Vector's desk with a bookshelf to the right, two couches facing each other with a little coffee table in between, and a houseplant next to the door.

"It's actually pretty homey in here." He sat down on one of the couches.

_Can't he read someone else's mind for once?_

"What can we do for ya, Zephyr?" Vector asked. "Our policy is, 'We never-'"

"'Turn down work that pays,' I know. I just thought that I could just chill with you guys for the day. Vanilla and Cream are out of town for the day and I thought I'd come and hang with you."

"Can he, Vector? Can he?" Charmy excitedly asked.

"I don't see the harm," the croc answered.

"But what's the reason?" Espio wondered.

"Because I have nothing else to do," Zephyr replied, "and I just wanted to make sure if she's adjusting well."

"She's still a little jumpy," Vector said, "but she's doing okay."

The wolf smiled. "As long as she's doing well."

_Again, why are they talking like I'm not here? I've got opinions, too._

Just then, the phone on Vector's desk began to ring. The croc didn't hesitate to answer. "Hello? Yes, this is the Chaotix Detective Agency. Who's this? Uh-huh... Uh-huh..." His eyes widened. "How much?!" Then he cleared his throat. "Of course. We'll be there." He hung up.

"What's going on, Vector?" Espio asked.

There was a glimmer of greed in the crocodile's eye as a toothy smile came across his face. "Boys, we've got a new case on our hands," he said. "Our client lives in the richest part of Mobotropolis, and he said he'll pay handsomely for our services if - no, _when_ we solve it."

"What did he want?" I asked.

"Seems that some family heirloom of his went missing and he believes one of his servants stole it. Naturally, he called the right people for the job."

"Who, the CIA, FBI, or GUN?" Zephyr spoke, chuckling at his own joke.

Vector just shook his head, then looked over at me. "This'll be the perfect job for ya, Kid. You'll be able to find it with ease."

"Uh, actually," I started, "that might be a bit... difficult."

"How so?" The croc shot a suspicious look at me.

"Truth be told, I'm nearsighted. I need glasses to see properly."

Everyone just looked at me a moment until Zephyr broke the silence. "If you're nearsighted, then how can you see what's been going on?" he asked.

"If anything were to zoom past right in front of me, or if anyone's just standing in front of me, I'll be able to see them. Though, it's somewhat blurry a bit."

"Ain't that great," Vector mumbled. "A blind detective. How low have we sunken?"

"I may be blind, Vector, but I can still hear."

* * *

The city of Mobotropolis was a vast urban city with a bunch of tall buildings and a lot of people moving about. Even without my glasses, it was very discombobulating. I grew up in an area where there were mountains, so to be in a city that practically resembled New York or Las Angeles was completely overwhelming and confusing.

The client the five of us were visiting lived in a mansion in Uptown Mobotropolis. The outside looked like the outside of the Playboy Bunny mansion, and that made me wonder if the inside would be similar - minus the Playboy Bunny girls. Charmy rang the doorbell, and one of the servants opened the door not too long afterward.

"Good afternoon," the servant said.

"Hi, we're from the Chaotix Detective Agency," Vector said. "We got a call from your boss about a missing heirloom."

"Oh, yes. Right this way."

We walked inside, and it looked like something that you'd only find in a castle. Long winding stairways, paintings of famous idols on the walls, it was just too amazing for words. The only word that came out of my mouth was, "Whoa...!"

"Detectives, welcome." The one who entered was the owner of the mansion, casually strolling in wearing one of those robes that the stereotypical rich man would wear. He was a dark teal badger with reddish-violet eyes. "I'm so glad you could be here. I'm Barrington von Barrington, owner of this magnificent castle I call home."

_Barrington von Barrington? Man, how much of a stereotypical rich guy can he be?_

"Pretty stereotypical aristocrat, he is," Zephyr muttered to me. I nodded in agreement.

"Nice to meet ya, Barrington," Vector said, shaking hands with the client. "I'm Vector the Crocodile, Private I."

"And the rest?"

"My teammates. Except him." He pointed to Zephyr. "He's a friend to one of 'em."

Barrington eyed Zephyr suspiciously. "I see."

"Anyhow, you said something about a missing heirloom?"

"Oh, yes. It's my family crest, the three Tao Dragons."

"What's a Tao Dragon?" Charmy asked.

"I think the dragons have something to do with Yin and Yang," I suddenly answered.

"Precisely my dear girl, the Dragon Gods Reshiram, Kyurem, and Zekrom. Their legend is quite fascinating. Anyway, my family crest is on a brooch, which belonged to my great-great-grandmother, and I would be damned if one of my loyal servants have stolen it from me."

"Don't worry your rich little head," the croc said, "we'll find the one who's taken the brooch."

"See that you do. Now if you all excuse me, I'm late for a mani-pedi, and Stacey would be furious if she doesn't see me today. Such a stubborn girl." He walked past the group in such a hurry that he almost ran into the butler on his way out.

"Alright, boys, let's split up and interrogate the entire staff that works in this joint."

"Methinks - uh, I mean, _I think_ that interrogation won't work," I said. "Someone might try to run away."

"Then what do you think we _should_ do? Try and be nice?"

I nodded. "Pretty much."

Vector groaned in annoyance. "Everyone, split up and interrogate. No ifs, ands or buts. Got it?" He quickly took off in one direction, Espio and Charmy moving away in their own directions as well, leaving me alone with Zephyr.

_At least _try _and consider my idea. I may be smaller than you, Big Mouth, but I could kick your hide from here to Timbuktu if I could!_ Compared to me, Vector was about an inch taller, more muscular and not as skinny as I was. I'm all talk.

"C'mon," Zephyr nudged lightly with his elbow. "We've got a brooch to find. And don't let Vector bother ya too much. He really does care about you."

"If he does, then why doesn't he show it?" I questioned as we started walking.

"He's one of those guys that's like a rock on the outside, but more of a marshmallow on the inside."

I laughed a little. "What a way to say that he's hard but soft. 'Tis quite the humorous comic. Oops...!" I covered my mouth.

He raised an eyebrow. "What was that? Shakespeare?"

"S-Sorry. I've been trying not to do that. If it bothers you, I'll stop."

"I actually don't mind."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

"I've got an uncle who talks like that, so it's no bother, really."

I blinked a few times before showing a small smile. "Okay." _Zephyr's more understanding than Vector. Maybe I'll take his advice and try not to let the croc get underneath my skin. Zephyr... is an awesome guy._

* * *

**Sorry about no updates from SUMHVCS. I've kinda hit a wall with that story. But I'm hoping to bring it back up to speed soon, so stay tuned, fellow readers!**


	6. The Training Begins

Zephyr and I walked the vast halls of the large estate, asking each individual servant that we came across about the missing brooch. A few said they hadn't seen it, a few never even knew about it, and a couple were a bit off; their eyes kept darting back and forth as they talked, which made me all the more suspicious. They were twin siblings, brother and sister porcupines with gray fur and dark green eyes. I was going to question them more, but then thought I would wait a bit, and Zephyr and I continued on our way.

We kept walking about the halls until we came across a large set of doors.

"I wonder where this goes," Zephyr wondered, about to push it open. He stopped to look at me. "You're the detective. Your call."

I looked at the door a moment before nodding my head in approval. I had a strange gut feeling that it was the master bedroom, and when the door opened, sure enough, I was right. I kept questioning myself on how I knew it, but I shook it off and we went inside. Barrington seemed to have the easy life, what with the fancy luxuries, the servants, the entire rich life in general. We looked around the room, practically destroying the pristineness of it, but no luck. I let out an exhausted sigh. I glanced at the wall to my right, seeing a portrait of Barrington.

_Man, that guy is so self-absorbed and arrogant, like the typical rich person. This self-portrait of him proves it._ I saw something shining behind the portrait. I gently moved the portrait askew just a little before something fell onto the floor. Curiosity piqued, I picked up the mysterious item. It was indeed the Tao Dragon brooch. I instantly recognized Kyurem in the center with a white dragon on the left and a black dragon on the right. _This is it! Barrington's heirloom! _Something struck me. _Wait a second..._ I flipped it over to see the back, my eyes widening.

My name was written on the back in gold letters.

"Hey, Zephyr," I said. "Come here."

"You found it?" he asked, looking from the other side of the room.

"Yes, and one other thing."

He walked to my side, looking at what I was looking at. His eyes widened as well. "I've seen this before."

"You have?"

He nodded. "Yeah. One other time. I thought that it's only coincidence..."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me, a serious expression on his face. "There was this guy I knew. He found a crest exactly like that in a very dark and cold cave, and on the back of it... It had his name written on it, in gold writing. So by definition, it was his property. And you know what it's called when one takes another's property, right?"

I looked back and forth between him and the crest. "So... you're saying that... this is mine?"

"Well, that _is_ your name, right?"

I glanced at the name. _Cheyenne Rowe._ Yep. That was my name, alright. But it still didn't make any sense.

"We've gotta tell the others about this."

That pulled me out my focus from the crest. "What?" I dazedly asked.

"Remember when we were talking with Silver and you said that there was nothing special about you? It seems you've misspoken."

_No shit, Sherlock. But to tell the others?_ "I don't think we should tell the guys."

We looked questioningly at me. "Why not?"

"Vector would think I put my name on here when I know that I didn't, and when I would try to tell him, he wouldn't think twice about calling me a liar."

"Well, he hasn't known you that long, so that's one reason why he would doubt you."

I blew out an unconvinced sigh and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure, _that's_ the reason." Then it hit me. "What about the twin servants we talked to?"

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"Well, they seemed to know something that we didn't. We explain to them this situation, and they could turn it over to Vector and show him the back. We act all surprised, everything's good-"

"But what about Barrington? He'll think that we're stealing his stuff, and he's gonna send the twins to prison."

"Technically, since my name was already on here, he had a hold of my property. As for the twins, they were only helping us."

Silence. Zephyr had not said a word about my plan. Suddenly, he started laughing. I didn't know why he was laughing, but that only made me angry and annoyed. He could have just told me that my thinking sucked instead of laughing at me.

He stopped laughing, a smile on his face. "You really think far ahead, don't ya?" he spoke. "I knew you were really smart."

I blushed a little. "Well, I'm no Isaac Newton or Marie Curie or anyone like that."

* * *

The plan was set into motion. We convinced the twin servants to give Vector the crest instead of me and Zephyr doing so ourselves. In the meanwhile, we met back up with the Chaotix detectives by the front door, after an 'unsuccessful' brooch hunt. Vector was more than upset about it, of course. Not too long after, the twins came. The guy was Cecil, the girl Cecilia. Cecil handed Vector the brooch, though the greedy croc automatically assumed that they had stolen it. As the croc greedily gazed at the heirloom, Espio saw the gold writing that was my name. Vector, of course, thought his teammate was seeing things, but then Cecilia had to flip it over so that he could see for himself. His expression: priceless. His eyes went so wide I thought his eyeballs were gonna pop out of his skull.

When Barrington came home from his mani-pedi appointment to check on our progress, he was shocked to hear the news about his 'family heirloom.' He tried to persuade us that the name on the brooch was the name of his great-great-grandmother. Zephyr called bull and said that the name of his great-great-grandmother was actually Sylvia Maher-Williams. Barrington was at a loss for words, amazed and confused on how the timberwolf could've known such a fact. Cecil and Cecilia seemed to have known that already because of how their eyes kept avoiding my own earlier. Barrington declared 'absurdity,' didn't pay us a single cent, and demanded we leave the premises or he would call the cops. Of course, despite Vector's yelling and protesting about not being paid, the rest of us had to drag the angry crocodile out, crest in hand.

* * *

"This... SUCKS!" Vector yelled, sitting down on one of the couches. "I can't believe that rich bastard didn't pay us a dime because of a stupid brooch that wasn't even his."

"Speaking of which, how did your name end up on the back of it, Cheyenne?" Espio asked.

"I honestly don't know," I answered. "I'm still surprised by it." I looked out the window. The sky started to grow dark. I instantly remembered what tomorrow meant for me. The beginning of something incredible. I wished that I didn't have to go through with it, but no matter what, I had to. I had to meet Silver, Blaze and Marine at the Temple of Hajime. I glanced back at the crest I held in my hand, then thought if anyone there would know why my name was on something I may or may not be part of.

"It's getting late," Zephyr said from the couch opposite of Vector. He got up and walked to the door. "I should probably head that way. I gotta say. Today was very interesting."

"Aw, don't go!" Charmy spoke, his eyes big and sad.

"You'll see me around, little bug. You know that." He smiled, then turned to me. "I'll see ya later, okay?" He went out.

"Okay, what was that?" Vector asked.

"What?" I asked back.

"He looked at you before he left."

"So?"

A smirk came upon the crocodile's face. "Don't act like you don't know. It seems you two have a connection." He chuckled.

I glared at him, then turned my head away. "We're just friends. That's all."

"Then I guess... you play for the other team, then."

"SHUT UP, BIG MOUTH!" I turned and threw a pillow at the croc. It hit him in the snout. "You think you everything, but you clearly don't!"

"Damn, girl. Seems you got a bit of fire in ya, after all. See, Espio? I told you she'd toughen up."

"She yelled and threw a pillow at you because you got her mad," Espio explained.

"Hey Vector," Charmy squeaked. "What did you mean by she plays for the other team?"

Before either Vector or Espio could answer, I quickly said, "You'll learn about that when you're older."

"Why not now, Chy?"

"Because I said so. Now go upstairs and go to bed."

"But I don't wanna..."

"You heard her, Charmy," Vector said, pointing to the stairs. "Get."

"Aww..." The little bee unhappily flew upstairs.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning, grabbed the Tao Dragon crest, and quietly walking out the front door. I couldn't remember how to get to the Temple of Hajime at first, but I was able to make my way to it. I was about to go inside when I heard a loud sound from behind the place. I walked to the back and saw what appeared to be an intense training ground. I felt my jaw drop slightly in awe. It was something you would never find in a high school workout room. In fact, it was a whole lot better than that.

_Ay caramba! This is something else!_

"INCOMING!"

_That voice... Now where's Marine gonna jump at me from?_

I looked up, and sure enough, the little raccoon jumped from a tree and wrapped herself around my torso.

"G'day, Sheila!" she said. "Are ya ready for your first day of trainin' today?"

"To be honest, Marine, I'm a bit nervous," I said.

"Aw, no worries. You'll do fine. I'm sure it'll be a breeze."

"You sure?"

"'Ey, you heard Arceus, Sheila. I'm here for moral support. There's no way you'd be blue for too long."

"Oh, you're here already," I heard Silver speak as he and Blaze walked toward us. "Good. Now we can get things started."

"But before that, do you have the crest?" Blaze asked.

"She's got it right here!" Marine answered, pulling out the crest. I felt my pants pockets, feeling nothing there. How did she pick-pocket me?! Marine tossed the crest to Blaze, who caught it mid-air.

"In that case, welcome!" Silver said. "Now, since you're half immortal, your powers will need time to build and develop, so try not to rush yourself, okay? Also, you will be able to use elemental abilities. In your case, that would be fire."

"Fire?" I questioned. "That's completely random."

"Actually, it's not."

"See the white dragon?" Blaze pointed on the crest. "That is Reshiram. He and Zekrom have world destroying powers of fire and lightning, and Reshiram controls fire."

I looked at the white dragon Reshiram. His wings were where his arms would have been with four long claws, has a double collar sort of thing around his neck, a long flowing ponytail type mane that diverts into to separate halves, sky blue eyes that seemed to shine, and a odd looking tail that looked like a fire-spewing cannon._ So if Reshiram has world destroying powers... does that mean _I _have the same capability?!_ "World destroying powers, huh?" I said nervously. "Oh, boy..."

"No worries, Sheila!" Marine spoke, then climbed on my shoulders.

"She's right," Silver said. "You're a long ways away from doing too much damage. But now, it's time to begin your training. I know you've seen some of the training equipment that we have."

"Yeah, it's actually quite incredible," I said. "But there's so much of it. It's like you're preparing me for a war or something."

"Immortals happen to be extremely tough fighters, regardless of appearance. They either use their elements or their weapons to fight. Of course, since you're just starting out, we won't be giving you weapons right away. You'll need time to develop some fighting skills."

"Oh. Alright. I can live with that. Quick question: have you, uh, trained other Half-Blood Immortals?"

"Well, there was one. He was actually pretty decent by the time he finished basic training."

"What's his name?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis," Blaze interjected.

"Oh, uh, I see."

"And of course, you know that you're not to tell anyone about this."

I lifted my right hand in the air. "I swear not to tell another living soul. Besides, I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Alright, then," Silver smiled. "In that case, let's get started."

* * *

From the rest of the morning to sundown, when I returned to the agency, I... was... exhausted. So many workout exercises, so many sore and tired joints and muscles. I wanted to lie on that couch and stay there for the rest of the day. I won't go into too much detail, but I can say that the beginning of training was very intense. Of course, Vector wanted to know why I was tired, so I said that I took a walk early in the morning, got lost in the woods for a moment, met up with Zephyr and hung out with him for all the afternoon. Once again, the croc had assumed that I had a really deep, really bad crush on him and I wanted to punch him right in his crocodilian nose. But I was too tired and sore from all those exercises, so I didn't bother.

Later that evening, I once again couldn't get to sleep. It wasn't from Vector's sleep apnea induced snoring, nor from the aching muscles of my body. My mind was very active, not wanting to shut down for the night. It was as if my brain was still trying to process the entire day like it were an older computer trying to upload pictures on a website. What's worse is that I have to go back tomorrow.

_And I don't wanna be even more tired than I am now. So finish up what you need to, and help me fall asleep, okay brain? ...Geez, I'm so tired I'm actually yelling at my brain while in my own thoughts. Damn..._

I got up and went outside to the porch to at least try and clear my head a little. It wasn't long until I heard the buzzing sound of Charmy flying around.

"Chy?" he squeaked.

I turned to the door. "Yeah?" I asked.

"...I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"

I felt sympathetic, maternal instincts kicking in. "Oh, poor thing, of course. But why'd you come to me?"

"Vector's snoring too loud and Espio's ignoring me."

I took a deep breath and started back inside. "Alright, let's get you settled." I set up the other couch for him, but he insisted that he wanted to cuddle with me. I didn't really argue, so I let him do so. Something, then, I felt had to be asked. "Hey, Charmy."

"Uh-huh?" he sleepily asked.

"I've been wondering this for a while, but why are you working in a detective agency at such a young age? What do your parents think about this?"

I looked down at him and his eyes turned big and sad. "My parents... I don't have any..."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying you don't know your parents, or...?"

He shook his head. "I knew them. I even had a sister."

"A sister? Really. So, what happened?"

"It was just a normal day at home. I was playing with my sister when these robots came out of nowhere and tried to get us. Our parents tried to keep us safe, but..." His eyes quickly filled with tears. "And then they took my sister from me. Turns out the guy behind everything was Eggman, and I was so mad... But I couldn't do anything. I was all alone until Vector and Espio found me and let me be a member of the detective agency. That was the happiest day of my life. Even if Vector yells at me, or if Espio ignores me, or if they don't wanna play with me, it's okay because they're my friends... my family."

As the little guy spoke, tears started forming in my eyes. I tried so hard not to cry, but to no avail. _To think this little guy went through so much and is still able to smile and be happy. He's so brave..._

"Chy? Are you okay? You're crying."

I wiped away the tears. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," I quickly said with a sniffle. "I just can't believe a little guy like you could be incredibly strong."

"What do you mean?"

"You went through a really hard time, and yet you're able to really smile. There's no way I could pull that off easily. I'm actually kinda jealous of you, Charmy."

He perked up, a smile on his face. "Really?"

I smiled back. "Really. Someday, you'd be as great a detective as Vector. Maybe even better."

His eyes brightened. "You mean it?"

"Totally." I paused. "It's late, Charmy. Let's get some sleep. Detectives especially need their sleep."

"Okay." He let out a yawn. "Goodnight, Chy."

"Goodnight, Charmy." I closed my eyes, holding the little guy close in my arms.

* * *

"Hey, Kid, wake up," Vector's voice blared in my head, followed by him poking at my forehead.

"What?" I grumpily said, swatting his big hand away.

"You wanna explain what the hell this is?" He pointed to Charmy, who was still asleep next to me.

"Charmy said he had a nightmare last night. He said that you were snoring too loud and Espio was ignoring him, so he wanted to cuddle with me."

"That's a lie. I don't snore."

"Thou art the liar!"

"The hell are you talking about, Kid?"

"Ye knows-" I cleared my throat. "You know exactly what I mean! You just choose not to say anything to cover it with."

The croc just rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He walked to his desk, sitting back in his chair.

I let out a heavy sigh. _He's so impossible to please..._

"Don't mind Vector too much," Espio spoke, sitting cross-legged by the opposite wall with closed eyes. A smirk appeared on his face. "He's merely jealous that a lovely lady never cuddled with him.

"That's not true! I have a way with the ladies that makes 'em want me."

"What way is that," I asked. "Saying they're guilty for stealing your heart? That is one of the worst one-line clichés I've ever heard." Then I remembered the training. "Hey, uh, what time is it?"

"About 9:30," Espio answered.

"Oh crap, I'm late!" I quickly got up, brushed my hair - Vector _finally_ got me a hairbrush after one of our cases, and ran out the door before anyone could question me where I was going that was so important. I ran as quickly as my sore legs could go, as far as they could take me. _I can't believe I slept in! I hope this doesn't affect anything... _When I got to the temple, Blaze, Silver, and Marine were all waiting for me. "I'm so sorry I'm late," I apologized. "I sorta slept in a little."

"About time, Sheila!" Marine unhappily said. "I was waiting for ya to show up early like yesterday."

"Calm down, Marine," Blaze coolly spoke, then looked at me. "Yesterday, we worked on the physical aspects of your power. Today, we'll work on the elemental aspects."

"Yay..." I quietly said as I sat on the grass, not wanting to stand anymore.

Blaze sat down cross-legged across from me. "Since you have the fire element, I'll be the one to teach you to control it."

"What can you do to teach me?"

She held out her hand and fires suddenly came out. My eyes widened at such an incredible sight. "I lived with these fires my entire life. Everyone picked on me when I was younger, and I would get so angry. But as I grew up, I learned that I control the flames. They don't control me." The fires died down, leaving her hand completely unscathed. "Now, hold out your hands." I held my hands out in front of me. "Close your eyes." I slowly closed my eyes. "Imagine your power starting out as small candlelight. Now, imagine the small flame starting to slowly grow until it closes around your hands."

"Like it's holding them?" I asked.

"Um, yes. But be sure to always breathe. Always keep focus. Don't let your emotions interfere."

_Breathe... Keep focus... Don't let my emotions interfere..._

"And never, _ever_ lose sight of what is really important."

_Never lose sight... of what's really important..._ As I repeated Blaze's words in my head, I felt my hands getting warmer each second. Then the warmth turned real hot, real fast. But I wasn't getting hurt. It felt good, really good in fact. I opened my eyes and saw yellowish-orange flames engulfing my hands. I was so happy and excited that I could do something so spectacular. In fact, I got _too_ excited. I quickly stood up and threw a fireball into the air. Blaze, Marine, and I watched it fall back to the earth aimed right at Silver. Silver, unknowing of the fireball, looked up at just the right time and quickly moved out of the way. Had he not have seen it, he would've become Hedgehog a la King. I apologized like a dozen times for nearly roasting him alive.

"That was totally ripper!" Marine said with a laugh. "Do it again!"

"You want her to burn me alive?!" Silver said surprised.

"No, Silver, mate, I want her to make another fireball! It took the other guy, like, two weeks to make a lightning ball, and she made a fireball in less than a day! It's totally ripper, mate!"

"You think so?" I asked the raccoon.

"Of course, Sheila!"

"Although, it is a little strange," Silver said. "It should've taken you longer to do that sort of thing. Even though Dragon Immortals are powerful, they need time to get a good grip on their powers. For you to suddenly conjure up and throw a fireball in less than ten seconds... How'd you do it?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I was just concentrating on Blaze's words and then there was fire in my hands."

"At this rate, it looks like you might complete basic training in less than four months," Blaze pointed.

"By the winds of the north! A greater trial still waits upon mine solid path to the cradle of the gods. A glorious and triumphant feat it shall be!" I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks burn in embarrassment. "Sorry, I... I can't seem to control the Shakespearean lingo."

"Reshiram and Zekrom were born under the Shakespeare era," Silver explained, "so it's perfectly normal. The other, uh, Half-Blood, as you put it Cheyenne, didn't have a problem with that."

"How can I control it? It usually happens whenever I get excited, angry, or even just musing about."

"I think, for now, just try and ignore it."

_That's as easy as getting Vector to not snore..._


	7. Serena

About two months had passed since I first started my training as a Half-Blood. When it came to the elemental aspects, I was ace. The physical aspects... not so much. I would get really tired the first ten minutes of the exercises. I started eating healthier, grew about a few inches taller - I was 5'4" when I started, now I'm 5'7" - my eyesight got better, and I drank more water. But even after all that, I would still get tired. I bet the other guy did a lot better than I did. It was also exhausting telling Vector that I was going out for my morning walk and running into Zephyr on the way. Of course, Zephyr did sometimes visit - he brought Cream with him occasionally - and he was a good sport to go along with it, making up stories as to what we did during the day, but kept it simple.

Of course, I figured someone in the Chaotix would be skeptical of my whereabouts. Espio never really asked any questions, but I would see a suspicious look on his face every now and again, as if he was telepathically questioning me about where I was going every day whenever we don't have a case. I give a genuine look back as if to say that I was fine and there was nothing for him to worry about. I wasn't sure if it was easing his thoughts, but we would close his eyes a brief moment before a smirk would be plastered on his face. I didn't know what that meant, but I had a feeling that my 'daily walks' were not convincing him in any way at all.

One morning, I woke up as the sun had barely risen. However, this morning was different than any other. I got up and stretched like I usually would, brushed out my hair, and as I walked out the front door, I saw Espio standing in the clearing. Before I could ask, he jumped into the air, flipping backward, landing on the roof. I couldn't see what he was doing then, but I saw several shuriken throwing stars flying through the air, disappearing into the tree tops. Then he jumped off the roof, performing a double front flip, and pulled out three kunai, and he started slowly disappearing. His camouflage abilities practically make him the ninja of ninjas. One kunai went flying into a tree trunk, the second into a nearby rock, and the last into the railing of the porch. The ninja chameleon turned visible again.

_Whoa... That must've been one of Espio's ninja routines. I've always thought ninjas were cool, and that was the coolest thing I've ever seen...!_

Espio came to the front porch, retrieving his kunai. "You seem impressed," he calmly said.

"It's just," I started, "I've always thought ninjas were pretty cool, how they sneakily enter a building without getting spotted, all the cool ninja weapons they have."

A small, modest smile came on his face. "I am quite impressive, aren't I." He looked up at me. "I'm sure you'd want to learn some of my moves."

"Who? Me? I-I don't think I could pull off some of those ninja tricks."

"Nonsense. Anyone can learn the art of Ninjutsu. It takes time, patience, as well as perseverance and discipline. Do you want to try?"

_Me, learn Ninjutsu? Hmm, if I did that, then my physical status would be a little better._ "I'll think about it. Right now, it's time for my walk. See ya later, Espio." I continued on my way, looking forward to another day of training.

* * *

Walking down the dirt path, hearing the chirping of the Flickies in the trees, I pondered over how mixing in ninja training with Immortal training would work. Of course, I knew that I would have to talk to Silver and Blaze about making a schedule - not that I've considered taking Ninjutsu lessons from Espio yet. I listed different pros and cons to taking up Ninjutsu, whether it would help or hinder me in my progress. Either way, overall, I knew I would get physically and mentally stronger.

There was a bush that started shaking when I walked by it. My curiosity piqued, I bent down and parted the leaves when a Chao popped out and attached itself to my face. I jumped back in surprise, nearly falling backward. I looked closer at the Chao, seeing a little red bow tie. It was Cheese, Cream's pet!

"Cheese, what are you doing out here?" I asked as I gently pulled him off my face.

"Chao, chao!" Cheese happily exclaimed as he flew around me.

_If only I could speak Chao..._ I looked around. "I wonder where Cream is." I looked back at the little guy. "You're coming with me. We're gonna find your owner."

"Chao!"

"Cheese? Cheese! Where are you hiding?"

_Whoa, that was fast._

Instead of Cream appearing from the trees, it was Zephyr. He saw and walked toward me. "Ah, Cheyenne. I see you're out and about on this lovely day. And you found Cheese, too."

"Chao, chao!" The Chao started flying around the wolf excitedly.

Zephyr chuckled lightly. "Yeah, she found you alright."

"Wait, you can understand him?" I asked.

"Well, you hang around forest critters long enough, you're bound to pick up a thing or two." He raised a curious eyebrow at me. "So, where are you headed?"

"Uh, well... I'm just walking about, getting some fresh air."

He looked at me for what seemed like forever. Finally, he shook his head a little, shrugging it off. "I'm not sure if it's me, but you look taller."

_Phew..._ "Yeah, uh, I think it might be a growth spurt or something."

A smile grew on his face. "Hey, listen, if you're not doing anything at the moment, maybe we could go into town and hang out."

_Sigh, I guess training would have to be put off today..._

"Training? What training?"

_Dammit! I forgot he could read minds!_ "Ninja training!" I blurted out.

"Ninja training? Oh, you're learning Ninjutsu from Espio?"

"Yep! Totally! Though, uh, I hadn't _officially_ said yes yet. I mean, I've been thinking about, of course!" I nervously laughed.

His smile never left, despite how weird I was being. "That's good to know. Anyway, you up for my offer?"

I nodded. "I've only been to Mobotropolis a few times for cases - you were there for one of those times. I'm not quite familiar with the area yet."

"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe." He winked playfully at me, and I couldn't help but laugh a little.

* * *

After returning Cheese to Cream, Zephyr and I were in Mobotropolis. The buildings still messed with my head a little, so I stuck really close to Zephyr. Not only was he my tour guide, I made him the official bodyguard for the day. He took it as a compliment and even joked about how he was protecting a lovely damsel. Even though he was just teasing, I felt kinda embarrassed by it.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," he said. "You should take it as a compliment. And for a human, you're really pretty."

"No, I'm not," I said, looking at the ground.

"Like you don't get looked at." He looked at me from head to toe. "Of course, with that outfit, people'll think you're a slob."

I looked at my clothes. They were so plain and boring I would rather go naked. "I guess I look a little plain."

"C'mon. I'm getting you some new outfits."

We went to the largest shopping complex of the city. Personally, I wasn't much into shopping, but whenever I was with friends, I would browse around with them. Zephyr thought of having me try on this teal colored knee-length dress that had spaghetti straps, and I immediately denounced it. I was never into dresses to begin with. I've always been a bit of a tomboy, so dresses were a big negative. But then he said that the dress could make my eyes pop and compliment my figure, and I still said no. I tried to run but instead I bumped into a blond haired girl, and we both ended up on the floor.

"Oh, my God!" I exclaimed. "I'm so sorry!" I started helping her up.

"Oh, it's okay," the girl spoke as she stood. "It was my fault anyway." She turned to face me, and I couldn't believe it. She wore a pink tube top, pink fish nest sleeves, a pink miniskirt, red knee high boots. Her eyes were like emeralds. But that's not what astounded me.

Her face... her build... her height... She looked almost like _me__._

"Wow! We're like twins!" the girl exclaimed excitedly. "This is, like, totally amazing!"

"Now this is uncanny," Zephyr said with surprised amusement. "It's not every day people would run into their doppelgangers."

"Oh... my... God..." I slowly said. "There's another me running around..." _And I... don't like her at all. She's too... happy._

"This is _sooooo_ exciting!" said the girl. "My name is Serena Conspicuous! It is _soooo_ good to meet you both!" She took a step closer into my personal space. "What's your name?"

_My God, she is super annoying...! And what kind of name is Conspicuous, anyway?_ "Cheyenne Rowe...?" I cautiously answered.

"Such a pretty name!" Serena hugged me tightly. "I just know we're gonna be the best of best friends!"

_Get her off. Get her off. Get. Her. OFF! _I heard Zephyr trying to hold in his laughter. "I'm so glad you find this amusing," I said sarcastically.

Serena pulled out of her hug. "So what are you up to, Chy-Chy?"

_Serena Conspicuous? More like Mary Sue._

"I'm actually buying her some new clothes," Zephyr answered, patting my head as if I were a little kid.

"Awesome! There's a lot of stuff that I'm sure you'll just love, Chy-Chy!"

"Good to know," I said, then started walking away. "Okay, bye."

"See ya later, Chy-Chy!" She skipped away.

Zephyr, only a few steps behind me, quickly caught up. "Aren't you excited to have met your doppelganger?" he asked.

"Honestly... I'm not," I said. "I thought having another me around would be really fun, but she's... way too nice for my taste."

"Too nice as in really innocent?"

"No, too nice as in something must be wrong with her. I don't know what it is about her."

"I think I know why that might be. Twins or doppelgangers can be seen as signs of bad luck. Most of the elderly can be kinda paranoid about that kind of thing."

"I see..."


	8. I Blew My Secret

The shopping day ended with Zephyr buying me some warm clothing - it was getting colder as each day passed - and some other cute clothes too. But Miss Conspicuous was still lingering in my mind. Deep down inside, I knew someone who was that happy was hiding some kind of deep, dark secret. I couldn't shake the weird feeling that kept poking at me, but in the end, I assumed that I wouldn't see her again. The next day, I made the decision to take up Ninjutsu, which made Espio happy (I think; I couldn't quite tell). The first day of ninja training wasn't all too bad. Of course, by the end of it all, I was exhausted. I wanted to lie on that couch and never move again.

Early the next morning, I quietly got up and headed out. I glanced up at the trees. Little to no leaves were present on the branches, most of them already on the ground. The snow hadn't fallen yet, but by feeling the coldness of the air, it was just about ready. Funny thing was, the air was cold, but I was not. It must be some kind of quirk that makes Immortals immune to the cold, I thought, or perhaps it was a quirk meant just for Reshiram. I knew I had to ask when I reached the Temple of Hajime - in record time, I might mention. I became more familiar with the forest every day. Kyurem hadn't tried to kill me ever since I started my training either, so that made it a double plus. No one else was around in the training area, so I waited a little bit, sitting cross-legged against the wall of the temple, eyes closed, slowly breathing, starting to meditate.

_It's so peaceful out here. All quiet, no noise, nobody else around, surrounded by nature. I'm practically at peace even as I speak. Espio did say that meditation is very important. It really wires up the other senses, makes them prepared for the unexpected._

I heard the sound of footsteps approaching, the leaves crunching beneath someone's feet. They were slow at first, but then they sped up quickly, followed by a small battle cry. Opening my eyes, I looked ahead, seeing Marine in mid-air, coming right for me. I quickly moved out of the way in time and Marine ended up hitting the wall face first.

"Crikey," the little raccoon groaned as she rubbed her nose. "That was unexpected."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, Sheila. No blood, no foul."

"That's good." I looked at her clothes. She was wearing what she always wore, not appropriate attire for the current weather. "Hey, Marine, maybe you should change into something warmer."

"No worries. The cold doesn't bother me."

"Didn't you tell me that you grew up in a warmer climate?"

"Yeah, but it rarely snows, and when it does snow, it melts within an hour."

"Ah, I see." I found myself getting really hot. I was wearing a light gray sweater, which was more than weather appropriate, but I had to take it off. After taking it off, I felt like I could breathe again. "That's better." Instead of wearing that plain outfit that I usually wore when I first came to Mobius, I now wore a form fitting, comfortable, breathable black T-shirt with cute boot cut blue jeans. I kept the plain white tennis shoes, but I never had any complaints about them.

"You're here already?" I heard Silver ask as he and Blaze approached. He wore a blue and white striped scarf around his neck. "That means we can get started early." He paused, looking confusedly at me. "Aren't you cold without your sweater on?"

"No, but I was broiling in it before you two came here," I answered pausing a brief moment. "Hey Silver, Blaze, there's something I gotta tell you two about."

"What is it?" Blaze asked.

"Well, yesterday, I started training in Ninjutsu with Espio, and I was kinda wondering if we could work out some kind of schedule."

Silver and Blaze looked at each other a moment.

"Cheyenne, you haven't told-" Silver started.

"NO! No, I kept my mouth shut. But I think suspicions are getting tossed around."

"We can't risk it," Blaze said. "Besides, ninja training can get in the way of your current training."

"But it can increase my physical status by leaps and bounds! Espio can see some sort of potential in me, and he wants me to take a hold of it. I'm gonna train in Ninjutsu whether you like it or not, Kitty-Cat." I crossed my arms in finality, getting my point across.

"Oh, no..." Silver muttered with a face-palm. "You shouldn't have said that..."

"Like all Immortals," Blaze started, "you care only for yourself."

My eyes widened, but then I gave a nasty glare. "Excuse me?" I questioned. "You wanna run that by me again?"

"Immortals are beings that care only about themselves, never really there for any of the mortals they keep vigil over. They only thing they do is sit back, watch us suffer, and play with us like we're their little toys. And it seems that you're just like them."

_How dare she insult me!_ "I'm not taking this crap from you! I am DONE!" I swung my arm and without realizing it, I threw a fireball and it hit her, sending her back a few feet. I clutched my hand in shock as Blaze steadied herself back on her feet. "Blaze, I... I'm sorry. It was an accident. I didn't mean... I... I..." I started to hyperventilate, took a few steps back and then quickly took off into the forest. I didn't care where I was going, just so long as I didn't cause any more harm.

* * *

I wandered around aimlessly in the woods for a while until I came across a large, hollowed out oak tree. I thought that it would be a good little place to hide out for a while, so I went in it. It was a little cramped, but I didn't care. I put my sweater back on, I finally started getting cold. I didn't know how long I was in the tree, but it had started snowing after a little while. I watched the little white flakes fall from the sky like feathers in a still breeze, and as I watched, it felt like the crystallized rain drops were hiding some sort of secret that only they knew of.

I must have blanked out or something because by the time I finally got out of the tree, a white blanket of snow covered everything I saw and it was already dark. _Well, damn. I gotta get back otherwise the guys are gonna go out on a search party._ I started walking, but without a dirt path, it was a little difficult traversing through the trees. Why did snow always have to make things difficult for everyone?

"Well, well, well. Aren't we all alone."

_That voice..._ I turned around and there was Eggman in his little carrier like always. "What do you want, Eggman?" I asked. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now." I continued my way, the egghead floating a few feet behind me.

"Oh, come now, my dear. You can trust me. You and I are the same, you know."

"HA! How are we the same? You're evil, I'm good."

"But we're both human. And as humans, we shall rise together against the pathetic creatures that dwell on this pitiful planet."

I took a deep breath. "We're both humans, that's true, but our intentions, purposes, and goals are more than different." I looked behind me, looking at Eggman. "And I don't intend on working with a maniacal egomaniac such as you, you ignorant, pompous fool." I looked back ahead.

The scientist chuckled. "When we first met you barely uttered a single word, and when you did, it was all criticisms and insults. I never realized how articulate you really are."

"Cut to the chase, Egghead. Why are you following me?"

"No reason," he said nonchalantly.

"Bullcrap. Answer my question."

I heard him growl. "In case you've forgotten, little missy, you were emitting strong energy signals - and you still are, by the way. What secret could you be possibly hiding?"

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

"I thought you might say something like that."

I stopped to look at him, raising a confused eyebrow. "What are you-" Before I could finish, an explosion went off underneath my feet, sending me into the air. But before I could go pass the tree line, a giant robotic hand grabbed me. I tried to squirm free, but to no avail. The robot stood at least 16 feet tall, and somewhat looked like a combination of King Kong and Donkey Kong, the King Kong part with the muscular arms and legs, the Donkey Kong part with the face and hairstyle.

"Like my new creation?" he asked as he flew up next to the robot. "I call it KD-207. Now, you tell me the secret to your high energy signatures, and I'll let you live in the new Eggman Empire. If not, then it's going to be a _very_ unpleasant death."

_On one hand, I tell, and I'll live as a slave. On the other hand, I don't tell, and I'll die a horrible, painful death. Neither one of those sound good!_ "The only way to get me to squeal is if I were dead."

"Fair enough. KD-207, crush her!"

The robot started tightening its grip on me. It felt like every bone in my body was about to snap in half like toothpicks the harder he crushed me. I let out a pained scream, thinking that it was the end.

"Hey, Egghead! Take this!"

A rock went flying at Eggman's head, bonking him. "WHO THREW THAT?!"

"Over here!"

The both of us glanced down and saw the Chaotix. They had come to my rescue!

"Guys!" I happily called.

"Ya know, Eggman," Vector said, "this is not the way to treat a young lady."

"Yeah! You're rotten!" Charmy yelled.

"Now you shall feel our wrath," Espio said.

"Actually, you'll feel mine," Eggman said with a malicious smirk. "KD-207, engage attack mode!"

The robot threw me high up into the air, and I was screaming my head off the higher I went. When I started falling back down the earth, Charmy buzzed to my side as fast as his little wings could take him and grabbed onto my hands, holding me in the air.

"You're really heavy," Charmy said.

"Never mind that!" I yelled. "Just get me back on the ground, please!"

"Oh, right!" He quickly flew us back down. When I was close enough, I let go of his hands, landing in a snow bank. I popped my head out from the top of the bank, seeing the guys trying to fight of the giant excuse of a Donkey/King Kong mash-up rip-off. Eventually, the trio got tired and were covered in bruises and bumps, as well as gotten cut up and bled a little.

"Kiss your lives goodbye, detectives," Eggman said. "KD-207... Eliminate them."

_NO! _The robot lifted its foot above the detectives, ready to squash them like little insects. _I'm not standing in the sidelines anymore!_ I got out of the snow bank and stood where the detectives had lain fallen, arms spread out in protection.

"What the hell are ya doin', Kid?" Vector asked in a strained voice.

"I'm not standing back anymore," I said. "I'm gonna prove myself, one way or another, that I'm gonna be something great. If I were to die to become great, then so be it."

The croc weakly laughed. "What you're doin' is completely stupid."

"I don't care, croc! I just don't care!" A white, flaming energy started furiously emanating around me. I didn't know why that was, but I didn't care in the slightest. I was just done.

"What in the world?!" Eggman exclaimed. "KD-207, KILL THEM ALL!" The robot had dropped its foot, but then it suddenly blew up, completely detached. "What is happening?!"

"Hey, Eggman!" He looked down at me. "You wanna know why my energy levels are incredibly high? Here's why!" The white energy swirled around me faster and faster until it manifested as an eastern dragon known as the Asian Lung - a wingless dragon with the feathery mane of a lion, whiskers like a catfish and talons of an eagle. But it was all pure energy; it wasn't fully defined. But I didn't notice it, and looked up at the scared mad man of a scientist. "Say goodbye to your precious robot! _Shiro Tatsu... KOWASHITE_!" The energy dragon flew straight through the robot as if it were nothing but fly paper, making it explode. The explosion sent Eggman away, and the detectives and I were protected underneath a type of bubble.

When the smoke cleared, the dragon of energy vanished. Some the trees within a 20-foot radius were blown to smithereens. The bubble protecting us had also vanished. I didn't move because I had collapsed to the ground, eyes slowly closing...

* * *

My eyes slowly opened as I let out a little groan. When my vision straightened, I found myself back in the detective office, a cool washcloth on my forehead. I glanced around the dark room, seeing that I was upstairs in the one bed by the window. I heard voices talking downstairs. My curiosity piqued, I got up and quietly walked down a few steps so that I could listen in.

"I just hoped she couldn't do too much damage until after her training was complete."

_That's Silver. What's he doing here?_

"Ya know," I heard Vector say, "I always figured something was up whenever she would go out for a walk every day."

"When have you thought that?" Espio asked.

"I've had my suspicions, Espio, so don't doubt me."

"No, you haven't," I muttered. "You're as dumb as a post." I must have been cold or something because I let out a sneeze.

"It seems we have a spy," Espio amusedly said.

"Busted!" Charmy sang.

"Come on down, Kid, we know you're there," Vector said.

_Damn you, Karma..._ I went down the rest of the stairs, seeing the Chaotix and Silver - and surprisingly Blaze as well. "What are you doing here?" I asked the hedgehog.

"Well," he started, "it's because you sort of, uh..."

"You freaked out and destroyed Eggman's gorilla bot," Vector finished for him.

"With FIRE!" Charmy exclaimed. "And a giant white, uh... THINGY!"

"And you were able to protect us with a kind of force field," Espio said.

At first I was confused by what they were saying, but it came back to me. I sat down on the couch, covering my face. "Oh, no...!" I said. "I can't believe I did that! I'm such a freaking moron!"

"Aw, c'mon, you're not a moron," Vector said. "You were smart enough not to tell us about this whole god training thing when ya did."

"Immortal training," I corrected.

"Potato, po-tah-to."

"Wait..." I looked at Silver. "You told them? Why, Silver?"

"I had to tell them," he said. "They had no idea what happened."

_Such a hypocrite. Then again, I'm sure he had his reason._

"Anyway, I hope you three can understand the current situation," he told the Chaotix.

"It's no problem at all," Vector said. "We'll send her over in a couple days when she's ready to go."

"We'll see ya later, Cheyenne." He and Blaze went out, Blaze never saying a word.

_She must be really peeved at me. I said I was sorry! What more could I do to apologize?_


	9. Family I Never Knew

The next day, I relaxed in the detective agency, sitting on the couch. I was recuperating from the Eggman assault. Though, no matter how much peace and quiet there was in the office, I couldn't get my brain to turn off about what happened the previous night. There was too much buzzing in my brain to even try to comprehend what happened. I tried endlessly to put all the pieces together, but they never seemed to fit.

_I still don't understand it! How can I not piece together what happened?! I feel like I need a vacation..._

"CHY!" I blinked a couple times before coming back to reality. Charmy had apparently been wanting something, poking at my shoulder. "Why won't you answer?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Charmy," I said. "Did you say something?"

"I was just asking if you wanted to go out and build a snowman or something."

"Oh, uh, no thanks."

"Why not? Scared of the snow?"

"Charmy, leave her be," Espio said in his meditation pose, sitting on the floor cross-legged. He opened an eye to look at us. "What happened last night was very new to her."

"And no matter how many ways I put it," I said, "or how many times I try to fit it together, it doesn't make any sense. I don't think I can piece it together..."

"Try not to think about it too much. You might go a bit crazy trying to find the answer."

"Yeah, Kid, relax a little," Vector said as he leaned his chair back. "Loosen up."

There was a knock at the door. "I got it!" Charmy called and flew right to the door. He opened it and then shouted, "ZEPHYR'S HERE!"

"CHARMY, DON'T YELL!" Vector shouted.

_Between Charmy and Vector, the croc gives me more of a headache..._

"There's always something new with the Chaotix crew," Zephyr said as sat down next to me. "You know, I heard this really loud explosion last night."

_Uh-oh...!_ "Really?" I asked as I turned back to Zephyr.

"Yeah, and when I went to check it out, the trees in the area looked like they were blown away. Silver was there, too. He said that you guys were involved in a scrape with Eggman." He took my hands into his. "I just wanted to make sure if you were alright."

I felt my face starting to burn. "Uh, yeah, We're alright. I-I'm fine." I looked away from him, mildly embarrassed. "Just fine."

I heard Vector starting to snicker as he stood behind me. "What's the matter, Kid?" he smugly asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

I quickly moved my leg for a kick at his shin, but I think I got his kneecap instead. I didn't bother to look where I got him; his groaned pain was good enough for me. "So, Zephyr," I said, trying to change the subject. "Other than checking up on us tough-as-nails detectives, what brings you by?"

"Oh, well, I figured if you're not busy," the wolf started, "there's this place that I think you'd really like to see, especially at night. You wanna go check it out? That is, if you want to."

"Uh, sure. I'd love to." _I think I know what he's trying to do... He's trying some kind of romantic move...! I'll have to keep a close eye on what he does, and wait._

"Great. I'll see ya later, then." He smiled, then got up and left. My heart pounded wildly in my chest like bongo drums. I couldn't figure out what it was about him that made me like him. I had the gut feeling that I was gonna find out.

* * *

I decided to take a little cat nap on the couch. Next thing I knew, I was asleep for six hours. I was asleep from 2 in the afternoon to 8 in the evening - my brain seemed to have finally cooled down enough for me to relax. It was also around the time that Zephyr came back to get me for the 'evening outing,' as I'm calling it. He buttoned up his jacket, but I'm sure that a light, yet sturdy jacket might not have been enough to keep him warm. Plus, he still wasn't wearing any shoes or gloves, which had made me question him a little more...

The night was actually clear, a half moon shining brightly amongst the diamonesque stars. Walking next to the timberwolf, I glanced at the snow covered trees as a light breeze made the bare branches quiver in the cold. As we walked, I felt Zephyr stepping closer to me.

"It's really lovely out here," he spoke. "You know, back in my hometown, you'd never see a sky like this. It'd always be cloudy or snowing." He looked at me, a smile on his face. "Would you ever see a night this nice in the winter?"

"Uh, no," I said. "Not that I can remember." _Move over a few steps, buddy. You're in my bubble._

"Then I guess it's something new for both of us." He paused, stopping in his tracks. I stopped a couple steps and looked back at him. "Listen. Before we get to our destination... I've been thinking about something for a while, and..."

_Here it comes. The classic cliché of declaring your love._

"I know that you hear this a lot, but you're smart, tough, easy on the eyes. You're, like, the total package."

_Ugh, kill me now, PLEASE...!_

"Uh, I guess what I'm trying to say is-"

"Oh ho, back again I see, and you have company." You know how the enemy always and consistently comes back to try to kill you? Well, this happened to be one of those times. Eggman had appeared _again._

_Thank God! The perfect distraction!_

"Ugh, what do you want, Eggman?" Zephyr asked in annoyance.

"Oh, I thought I'd check up on the young lady after my latest attempt to obtain her power had gone awry," Eggman answered, then clenched his teeth. "And she was more stubborn than I first thought."

"Power?" The timberwolf looked at me, then back at the evil scientist. "What are you talking about?"

"You mean you don't know? Why she-"

"Shut it, Eggface!" I yelled. "Just go away and leave us alone!"

"EGGFACE?! WELL GUESS WHAT, LITTLE MISSY, YOU'RE DETECTIVE PALS AREN'T HERE TO SAVE YOUR HIDE THIS TIME!" A malicious smile spread upon his face. "And this time, there will be no mistakes." From under his little carrier, two robot claws came out, ready for action. "Now, are you going to come quietly, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

Zephyr stood protectively in front of me, pulling me back. "Get away as fast as you can," he whispered. "I'll handle him."

"Do I look like a damsel in distress?" I asked with sass in my voice, arms crossed.

"Just trust me and go." He lunged forward, and him and Eggman's robot claws went at it.

_I've got to find a way to help him without revealing my powers. But how?_ I glanced around, and the idea was so obvious that I couldn't believe I didn't start doing it right away. I made a whole bunch of snowballs and started throwing them at Eggman, and that made the evil genius more than peeved. That made him so mad that he actually swung one of his robot claws at me and it sent me flying into a tree. My vision was fuzzy for a moment, but I could have sworn I saw blue lightning striking at Eggman and his carrier. When my vision finally cleared, Zephyr was unconscious, literally in the claws of the enemy. But I noticed black wings had extended from his back. _Those wings look just like..._

"Now to take care of you once and for all," Eggman declared as he started floating away with a zonked out timberwolf.

"Hey! Let him go!" I called as I went after him. He sped up as I tried getting close to him. "I said let him go!"

"Oh, I'll let him go, alright."

_That's never a good thing to hear...!_

Eggman abruptly stopped, the claw extending, holding Zephyr's limp body over the edge of a cliff. I glanced down and saw very cold ocean water and what looked like pointed, jagged rocks. And that made me really worried. "Last chance," he sang. "You can either give yourself up and your friend will be left unharmed, or he can take a little flight down into the icy waters of Hell."

_I've gotta trick him somehow._ "Look, Eggy," I said, "remember what you said about us being the same? Well, I thought a lot about what you said, and as it turns out, you were right. I should have listened to you the first time; my bad. I just hope we could put what happened the other night behind us, team up, and we could get started on building your _glorious_ Eggman Empire. What do you say?" _Please let him buy it. Please let him buy it._

"Hmm... You make a persuasive point."

_YES!_

"However, you're a terrible liar." He started letting go of Zephyr, the timberwolf's limp body unknowingly ready to take a fatal plunge.

"NO!" I jumped onto the carrier, trying to grab control of it. Of course, Egghead tried pulling the controls away from me. As we struggled over the controls, Zephyr's body started to slip from the open claw. I quickly jumped off the little carrier, landing near the cliff's edge, and grabbed onto the timberwolf's arm with both hands, trying to pull him up.

"I hope you and Zephyr enjoy your swim!" Eggman declared.

I was suddenly forcefully pushed forward, and both Zephyr and I were falling to what might have been our deaths. I quickly grabbed onto him, wrapping my arms from behind him, his wings still extended out. I was hoping to try to drift us away from the jagged rocks that came closer and closer, but the effort seemed to be in vain. I feared that this would be the last time either of us would see the light of day. But we somehow managed to scrape by just in the nick of the time, landing in the cold, cold water. With all my strength, I was able to keep our heads out of the water and swam us to the beach. I have to admit; dragging a limp body across the ocean was a bit of hard work.

I heard coughing as I laid on the sand panting my butt off. He was alright, I thought. I did good.

"Cheyenne... why am I all wet?" I heard Zephyr ask.

"Let's just say that you and I went for a little swim," I answered between pants. "All thanks to Doctor frigging Eggman."

"And... why do you have wings?"

_Wings?_

"Yes, wings. White ones, in fact."

I tried looking at my back and, sure enough, I did have small, white wings with four little claws on each of them.

"Now I get it." I looked at him. "Now it all makes sense."

"What makes sense?"

"Are ya stupid? You're Reshiram's daughter!"

"Well, you have wings, too!" I pointed out. "Black ones! And I remember seeing them on that Tao Dragon crest! You're Zekrom!"

"What?! I'm not Zekrom!"

"You have to be! Otherwise you wouldn't have those wings or be throwing blue lightning around!"

His eyes went wide. "Y-You saw that?!"

I stood on my feet, peering down at the timberwolf. "Yes, I saw that! My vision may have been screwed up for a moment, but I know lightning when I see it!"

The timberwolf then stood up, trying to stare me down. "Look here, little girl, I'm not Zekrom and that is that!"

"Don't give me that crap!"

"I'm telling the truth! If I were Zekrom, I'd be human, not Mobian!"

_Wait a moment. When I first met Arceus, he was human. So Zephyr isn't Zekrom after all._

"See? I told you!"

"Would you quit reading my damn thoughts?! That's gotta be an invasion of my privacy!"

He crossed his arms. "How long?"

"Beg pardon?"

"How long have you been like this?"

"Since autumn, but what does that have to do with-"

"Not the training."

"...My whole life, apparently, but I didn't find out until late in the summer."

He stood there a moment, studying me. Then he closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "And to think..." he muttered. He looked back at me. "You've lost not only a friend, but also my respect."

That hit me like a bullet went through my heart. "What do you mean?"

"Can't you read minds?" I shook my head. "Well then, I'll tell you. You've lost my respect because you've been leading me on for months. I've always thought you were this shy, timid girl. But to think that you're my cousin-"

"Wait, what? 'Cousin?'"

"Don't you remember me telling you that Reshiram and Zekrom are brothers?" I shook my head once more. "Well, they are, and we are cousins. My point is my feelings were betrayed before, and when I first saw you, I thought that I could trust the world again. And now, you've made the world rear its ugly head once more. Hope you have a nice life." And with that, he turned his back to me, hands in his pants pockets, and started walking away.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't think there was anything left to be said. It was good that he was walking away because my eyes started filling with tears, even though I looked at the ground as soon as his back turned to me. _Great. Just fucking great. First Blaze is pissed at me, and now Zephyr is. I didn't even know that I _had_ any cousins on Mobius. I thought he was just another nice guy, and my life was turning into a Harem anime._ I wiped away some of the tears that were falling. _Boy, I really screwed up. If I had told him that I saved his life, he wouldn't have-_

"What was that?" I glanced up and Zephyr had stopped several feet, looking back at me. "You... saved my life?"

I looked back at the ground. "Why are you still here?"

"Not only can I read minds, I can read feelings, too." The sound of footsteps approached until I saw a pair of familiar humanesque feet stop in front of mine. "Now what do you mean that you saved my life?"

I explained what happened after he went unconscious. After I finished, I asked, "But what do you care? You practically said that I hurt your feelings."

"But that was before." He took a deep breath. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. I went through a really bad breakup about a year ago, and I still hadn't quite got over it."

I glanced up, but wasn't convinced. "Really?"

"And the honest-to-God truth: she broke it off with me. I was just looking for someone to understand what I was going through a couple years back, and I thought I found the one. But when _this_ came out..." He gestured to his wings, moving them up and down a little. "She immediately said, 'We're through,' and I never saw her again since then."

"So when you saw me," I started, "you thought that I would be more of the understanding kind."

He nodded his head. "Exactly."

I uttered a small giggle. "I guess in a weird, twist-of-fate kind of way, you did."

A smile came on Zephyr's face. "I guess I did. So..." He paused, then held out a hand. "Forgive and forget?"

I stood there for a moment, thinking it over. Then I took his hand in mine, and we shook on it.

"Alright, then." He started shivering. "Hey, aren't you cold?"

"No," I said. "Not even after falling into the water."

He chuckled through chattering teeth. "Immortals with the fire element rarely ever freeze." He let out a sneeze, some snot running down his nose.

"Come on, let's head back. I'm sure the guys are going ballistic thinking I disappeared."

We walked through the cold, wintery night. But for some odd reason, aside from the fire kept within me, the winter didn't seem so cold.


	10. Godly Visitors

I got back into the swing of both my Immortal training and ninja training. Silver and I were able to work out a bi-weekly schedule; I'd work on my Immortal training for a week, then switch it over to ninja training, etcetera, etcetera. Of course, Blaze still hadn't talked to me after the accidental flaming I gave her - even though I said I was sorry like a thousand times. She was, to me, the silent loner who never shows what she feels.

The new year had started around this time, and both training styles had gotten more intense, especially the ninja training. In a practice spar, Espio kept knocking me to the ground as if I were a rag doll or a punching bag. Zephyr had been watching from the porch - he came by everyday ever since we found out about each other's 'secret.' And even when I started feeling sore and felt like my limbs were gonna fall off, I wanted to keep going. The ninja chameleon, however, had a different idea.

"How about we take a break?" Espio said.

I shook my head. "No, it's okay," I said. "I can keep going." _Who am I kidding? I can barely stand as it is._

"C'mon, Cheyenne, take five," Zephyr called from the porch. "I'll make some hot chocolate for ya."

I let out a sigh. "Alright, alright."

"Chy-Chy!"

My eyes widened in fear. _Oh, crap...! Please don't let it be_ her_!_ I turned around and saw Serena jumping at me, squeezing me into a hug. She was at least sane enough to wear warm clothing, like a hot pink sweater and light red skinny jeans that made her knee-high boots pop out more.

"It's _sooooo_ awesome to see you again!" she happily squeaked.

"Who's this?" Espio asked.

"This is Serena, my, uh, doppelganger," I answered in a lightly strained voice. "Zephyr and I met her at the shopping complex." I lightly nudged Serena to get her attention. "Serena, this is my friend and ninja teacher Espio."

When she glanced over, she seemed... disgusted.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance," Espio said.

Her disgust quickly turned back to happiness. "Nice to meet you, too!" she said.

_That was weird... Why'd she'd suddenly sneer at him? Talk about Extreme Bipolar Disorder._

"You know, it's a little uncanny to see someone find their doppelganger," the ninja chameleon stated.

"But we did!" Serena sang, finally letting me out of the hug. "And I couldn't be any happier!"

_Because if you did, your face would rip in half from smiling too much._

"So whatcha doin' now?"

"Well, we were just about to go inside for some hot cocoa," I said.

"Ooh, can I join?"

"Of course you can," Zephyr said. "A friend of my cousin is a friend of mine."

"Oh. I didn't know you and Chy-Chy were cousins." She sounded a bit... Surprised? No. Disappointed? Nuh-uh. Interested? I don't think so. I couldn't quite pinpoint what she was feeling, but it must have been a mixture of anger and non-satisfaction. "Well, I'd like to join you for hot cocoa, but I have something important to do. Bye-bye!" Once more, she happily skipped away, which made me all the more confuzzled of her. Once more, I shook it off, and the three of us went inside. Charmy instantly flew right in front of me.

"Hey Chy, who was that girl that looked like you?" he asked.

"A creepy, stalker fangirl," I answered. "At least that's how I see her."

"_One of the best ways to describe your double._"

All but Zephyr looked around, trying to find the source of the mystery voice.

"Okay, who the hell said that?" Vector asked.

"Is there a ghost in here?!" Charmy quivered.

"_Hmm, may haps you should look at the door._"

Everyone looked at the door, and I let out a little yelp. A human man had stood in the doorway. He looked a couple inches taller than Zephyr, had black hair that stuck out everywhere, one of those little chin beard thingies, crimson red eyes, and wore a pitch black short sleeved T-shirt, dark gray dress pants, and black dress shoes. He appeared to be very casual.

"Hey, Zekrom," Zephyr said casually.

"Zekrom?" I asked.

"That'd be me," said the man. "Zekrom, God of Ideals, Dragon of Lightning, father of Zephyr, and uncle to you, Cheyenne." He took my hands in his. "It is a great honor to meet you in person for the first time. You've really blossomed into a young woman. You definitely have my looks, too." He sounded like that of a bass cello, but about two octaves higher.

"As you can see, he's a bit of a vain narcissist," Zephyr explained.

"I am not! You're a dirty liar, Zephyr."

Zephyr just rolled his eyes. "After knowing you for only two years, I know you pretty damn well."

"You're just jealous that you can't get my good looks."

"Wow," I spoke. "You really are vain, aren't you."

Zekrom let out a horrified gasp. "My niece... my loving, caring niece..." He looked like he was about to cry, but I knew better than to fall for that façade. "You barely meet me, and you call me something mean!" I slowly shake my head. "No?" He straightened up. "Well, at least I tried."

"So... why are you here?"

"Can't an uncle see his niece? I know I missed the holiday season, but I thought I'd give this to you." From practically out of thin air, he pulled out an empty sword sheathe.

"What's with the sword sheathe?" Espio asked.

"You're not planning on giving her a violent weapon, are you?" Vector asked. "She's already scary enough without one."

_The only reason I get scary is because you keep spouting nonsense I don't wanna hear!_

"I'm giving her the sheathe," Zekrom explained, "because I want her to find her immortal weapon."

"An immortal weapon?" Charmy asked. "What does it do?"

"You know, I never got any kind of immortal weapon," Zephyr spoke. "So why are you giving her one?"

"You don't need a weapon," Zekrom told him. "Your claws are as good as any." He turned back to me. "The sheathe is yours to hold until the day you find your weapon, which I will then test its power and ability." He handed the sheathe to me. "And by the way, I just noticed some trees that looked like they were blown away."

_Oh, geez, not this again... I thought by now the snow would've covered those up._

"Have any of you seen the spirit Shiro?"

"Who?" the Chaotix asked.

"Doesn't _shiro_ mean 'white' in Japanese?" I asked.

"Yes," Zekrom replied, "and Shiro is one of the few spirits that appears on the mortal plane. But the only way for him to appear is if he takes a host body. Usually, it would be that of an Immortal, but if the host were that of a mortal or such, he wouldn't be fully defined."

"What do you mean by 'fully defined?'" Espio asked.

"He would only appear as the pure and powerful energy known as aura. It's unknown what aura has to do with any bit of the living world, but I'm sure the mortal philosophers and scientists have tried figuring it out."

_So that white energy was really Shiro? Uh-oh..._

Zekrom's eyes suddenly turned worried. "Oh, dear... I'd love to stay awhile, but I must be going. It was very good meeting you, Niece." He teleported out.

"I guess Celebi's got her work cut out for her, huh?" Zephyr asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess..." I said distractedly as I looked at the sheathe.

* * *

Later that evening, I stared at the ceiling, wide awake. I've grown used to Vector's snoring, but that wasn't the cause of my insomnia. I continued staring at the sheathe, the black material feeling good to the touch. I let out a quiet sigh.

_An immortal weapon and a spirit called Shiro inhabiting my body... As long as there's no Kuro_ (black)_ or Midori_ (green)_ or Ao_ (blue) _or whatever spirits_,_ then nothing could ever go wrong, right?_

"Thou mustn't be so sure." I sat straight up, looking for the source of the mysterious voice. This voice sounding exactly like that of a bass cello. "Aren't ye going to move thy lips and tongue? Speak."

"I've had one god introduce himself to me," I said loud enough for the voice to hear. "I don't think I need another."

"Was the first my brother?"

"That depends. Are you Reshiram?"

"Yes."

"Then yes; the first was your brother. Why couldn't you have seen me when he was here?"

"...I don't communicate well with mortals."

I rolled my eyes. "Just come out and show yourself. Everyone else is asleep."

He appeared by the couch. Reshiram had long hair tied back in one of those manly ponytails that you'd find in old-timey England. He wore this long-sleeved shirt with a light grayish vest, white dress pants, and white pilgrim's shoes - you know, the ones with the little gold buckles on them. His eyes were as blue as the fieriest sapphire. He had a very dignified look about him, much more so than Zekrom.

"Alright, now why are you here? You've come to get me a weapon too?"

"Actually," he started, "I thought I would come here to tell you of your purpose in this world."

"Purpose?" I raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean, Reshiram?"

"Just like Zephyr, you are here for a reason."

"You mean to train on how to use my powers?"

"It's more complex than that. You see, those you call Half-Bloods are very uncommon. You have the strength and agility of a full-fledged Immortal, but you're, however, still vulnerable to near fatal situations such as dying after a gruesome battle or coming into contact with poisonous plants, animals, or serums. After completing your basic training, you'll develop new abilities that would need time to control and master, as one of your instructors might have said."

"So... what exactly are you getting at?"

"The point is that, after training, there's the slim possibility that you too will become immortal."

I sat up. "Really?"

"That's right. When you're training's complete, you won't age another second until the day when Arceus allows you a chance to become one of many brave and powerful Immortals. Of course, whether you want to be immortal or not is your choice. Zephyr completed his training a few months before you arrived, so he's in the running for that chance."

"Wait, Zephyr finished just before I came here?" _How old is Zephyr again?_

"20, of course, but he struggled trying to complete his training; and abilities that he would have learned afterward decided to make themselves present, making it more difficult for him to push through his limitations."

_That's right, he was distracted with his breakup. I wanna get the whole story from him, even if I turn into Creepy Stalker Girl._ "Well, it's late, and I gotta sleep. Good night, Reshiram." I laid back down and closed my eyes.

"Very well. The night still be as young as the dawn of a-"

"Leave. NOW."

* * *

"Cheyenne. Hey, Cheyenne. Wake up."

I woke up to a whispered voice and a gentle nudge. I wiped my sleepy eyes, seeing the ninja chameleon. He was looking out the window for some oddball reason. "Espio?" I yawned. "What time is it?"

"3:26 A.M."

"And you got me up because...?"

"I thought I heard someone sneaking around outside. Be ready."

I instantly perked up and followed the ninja chameleon to the door. He quietly opened it and went out first, I following behind him. At first glance, it didn't look like there was anyone out there. Then a chill ran down my spine, and it wasn't from the chill of the cold, winter night. Something was off, but what? Was it good? Bad? I couldn't tell. I started smelling the strong scent of peppermint mixed with chili powder, my nose curling by the unsettling smell.

"Do you smell that?" I whispered.

"What?" Espio whispered back.

"Peppermint and chili powder?"

He quickly shook his head after smelling the air a little. "I don't smell anything out here."

_I guess my sense of smell became heightened. I could already smell someone barbecuing from a mile away, and now that peculiar combination is right inside my nostrils. Is that the scent of a living being? _After smelling the air again, the smell started fading out. _It seems that he or she didn't want to be detected._ "The smell's gone."

"So must be the intruder." He glanced at the darkened sky a brief moment before we went back inside. "It's strange for someone to show up and then leave suddenly."

"Totally." Then something hit me. "Hey, Espio, I've got a question."

"Yes?"

"What made you train in Ninjutsu? Have you learned it from a sensei, or your parents, or..."

His head lowered, eyes looking at the ground. "To be honest... I never knew my parents."

I blinked in surprise. _Is Espio... an orphan?_

His eyes closed, a melancholic look on his face. "I was found as an orphan baby, left at the front door of a dojo. The sensei who taught Ninjutsu there, Master Fumio took me in and raised me as his own. He even taught me Ninjutsu to defend myself from the kids that would always beat me up for being an orphan. When I grew older, I left the dojo to travel until I stopped in Mobotropolis for a while. That's when Vector somehow found me and asked me to join in this detective agency."

"And after that was when you two found and took in Charmy," I concluded.

"That's right. And then we became the founders of the Chaotix Detective Agency, along with one other."

_First, Charmy loses his family to a horde of Eggman robots, and Espio never even knew his parents. What other melancholy has happened in this detective agency alone?_

"You know, you're the first one I've told this to." He lifted his head, looking at me. "You... won't tell Vector or Charmy about this, will you? I'm not exactly the trusting type."

"Yeah, I can tell," I said with a small laugh. "But seriously, I won't tell anyone about this. Cross my heart, and hope to die."

A small smile grew on his face. "You're a good person, Cheyenne. I wish there were more like you in the world." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Perhaps we should sleep before the sun rises." Vector's loud snoring resonated throughout the small building. "Then again, sleep might be impossible."

_You know, underneath the mysterious persona, there's a really nice guy in Espio. I wonder if I can get him to show it a little more one of these days. I mean, he's already a good guy at heart, but there's just something about him that needs to come out. Or, at least, make it present._


	11. Carnival Reunion

I got at least four more hours of sleep until Charmy started flying around like a crazy little maniac. Luckily for me, a little later that morning, Vector thought it was a good idea to take a day-off from work. A bit of relief, I thought.

"What're we gonna do today?" Charmy asked.

"I heard about this carnival that's happening this week," Vector said. "I think it's in Bridgeport or something."

_Bridgeport?_

"Vector, that's two days away," Espio said. "And that's if you have a car. By foot, it's about a six-day walk. We'd probably miss it."

At that moment, Zephyr entered. "Hey, guys," he said. "You don't mind me barging in uninvited, do ya?"

"Nah," the croc replied casually. "As long as you keep our Kid happy, I don't have any complaints."

The feeling of annoyance rose in me. _I wish I could burst Vector's bubble..._

"The day will come," Zephyr whispered in my ear. "Trust me." Aloud he said, "So what are the plans for today?"

"We're going to a carnival!" Charmy excitedly said.

"A carnival, huh? Where at?"

"Bridgeport," Vector answered.

"Hey, you're from Bridgeport, aren't you?" I asked my cousin. "Why don't you come with us?"

A big smile came on the timberwolf's face. "I'd love to join! I always loved going to the Bridgeport Carnival. The rides, the shows, the food... It was so fun when I was a kid."

"You had me at fun," Vector said. "It's official: we're going to the carnival, boys."

"Yay!" Charmy cheered.

_And by fun, he means food._

"But how are we going to get there?" Espio asked. "We don't exactly have enough for bus fare."

"You can leave that to me," Zephyr said confidently. "I know a trick to go from one place to another in the blink of an eye."

"You mean like magic?" Charmy asked, his eyes so wide with wonder and amazement.

"You bet, little bug." He looked at me, and gave a subtle wink.

_Now what is he planning?_

"I'd like for you all to close your eyes." The Chaotix closed their eyes - I did as well, just in case. But I decided to be sneaky and kept one eye open. "Now, just imagine the smell of cotton candy, hot dogs, and churros, and the sounds of fun and laughter." His body started lightly sparking. As did the rest of us. Both my eyes open, I saw the background of the detective agency starting to fade away.

_Oh, my God, we're teleporting!_

"You'll open your eyes on the count of three," Zephyr continued. "One..." The agency faded away, a sunlit sky and carnival attractions in the background. "Two..." Everyone stopped sparking as the carnival came in clearly. "Three."

The detectives opened their eyes, and they were all in awe.

"WOOOOOOOOW!" Charmy exclaimed. "WE'RE HERE! WE'RE REALLY HERE! OH MY GOSH, THIS IS SOOOOO COOOOOOOOL!"

"That's a neat little trick," Vector said impressed. "How'd you do that?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Zephyr said. "And welcome to the Bridgeport Carnival."

"It looks just like a county fair," I said as I looked at the different attractions.

"Go on and have fun. It's on me."

"You don't have to do that," Espio spoke.

"Nonsense. This place taught me to be hospitable to out-of-towners, so please. I insist."

"WOOHOO!" Charmy quickly flew off in a random direction.

"Charmy, get back here!" Vector ran after him.

Espio let out a sigh. "I'll make sure they don't get us kicked out," he said and quickly went after his teammates.

_Poor Espio... He deals with so much in the agency._

"Why Zephyr Timberwolf! It's been too long!"

The two of us were approached by a light purple armadillo and a golden yellow jack rabbit, both women. The armadillo had deep blue eyes, and wore a cyan dress and cowgirl boots. The jack rabbit had bright green eyes, and wore a red tube top with skinny jeans and cowgirl boots. They were about the same height I was.

"Melissa! Tracie!" Zephyr happily said, hugging the two women. "I missed you guys."

"It's been too long, Zephyr," said the armadillo. She spoke with a southern accent.

"We haven't seen you in a couple years," spoke the jack rabbit, then she looked at me. "And you even got a girlfriend. Boy, what other secrets are you hiding?" She playfully punched his shoulder.

He pulled from the hug, placing a hand on my shoulder. "This is Cheyenne, a really good friend of mine," he said. "Cheyenne, this is Melissa..." He gestured to the armadillo. "...and Tracie." He then gestured to the jack rabbit.

"Nice to meet you both," I said with a smile.

"You're quite a sweetheart, ain't ya?" Melissa said. "It'd be no wonder if you were to win this young man's heart."

"Alright, alright," Zephyr interjected. "That'd be enough, Melissa. Is my mom around?"

Melissa and Tracie looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Uh, Zephyr," Tracie started, "your mom isn't here."

His ears drooped. "What do you mean?"

"Well, while you were gone, she said that going to the carnival without you wasn't the same. She hadn't come to the carnival in about two years, the same time as you."

"Really?"

"You should really see her, Hun," Melissa chimed. "She misses you more than the hummingbirds miss their feeder this time of year."

The timberwolf somberly looked over at me. "You can go and have fun, Cheyenne," he said. "I'll be around later."

"Oh, uh, okay," I said. "I'll see ya later, then."

He weaved his way through the sea of carnival-goers, blending in with the crowd as he went along. I couldn't help but wonder and worry at the same time.

* * *

The day went on, riding the rides, winning a prize here and there. But Zephyr hadn't returned, and that made me even more worried. I left the carnival without the guys knowing, and took a paved path that led into town. The sun was starting to set into the water. Bridgeport, as I could see, was a small porting town, and it was very easy to get around on land and sea. It was kind of cute.

It wasn't long until I came across a dirt road at the end of the paved street. My gut instinct told me to go down the path, which led into a strange bit of forest. And since it was still bloody cold, there wasn't any snow on the ground, which was... not all that strange actually. Back home, there was one year where it didn't snow, but it was cold as hell. I continued down the path until I came to a clearing. And in that clearing, a small house.

_Why is there a house all the way out here? This is just so weird..._ I walked up to the door and got ready to knock when the door suddenly opened. A female timberwolf stood there. Her fur and hair were a dark gray color with a white muzzle, her hair mid-length and wavy. She stood a half-inch shorter than I. She wore a teal short sleeved T-shirt, a white skirt, and sea foam green colored flats. Her eyes were like a bluish gray, but they didn't shine when the light hit them.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry," I apologized. "I don't mean to intrude on your, uh, property."

"Nonsense," she said sweetly, then took my hand. "Come in, come in. My son is making tea now. Join us." I tried politely refusing, but she led me inside nonetheless. It was as small inside as it was outside, but very quaint. I looked at her eyes again. Something about them just didn't seem right. "By your smell, you must be from out of town."

"Uh, yes ma'am," I answered.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal. My name is Alicia. And you are?"

"Cheyenne. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well. Please, sit." She and I sat down on the couch, her letting my hands go.

"I don't mean to impose, but... Are you blind?"

"I'm afraid so. But it's not so bad. My other senses are heightened, so I can get a better feel, smell, taste, and sound of my surroundings." She started smelling me. "Hmm... your species isn't quite familiar to me. Are you a skunk?"

_A skunk?!_ "No, I'm not a skunk."

"Hmm... Perhaps an otter? Or maybe a lioness?"

"No. Truth be told, I'm not of the, uh, animal variety."

"Oh? What are you, then?"

"I'm a human."

She flinched.

"Are you alright?"

She hesitated. "Oh, yes, I... I'm fine."

_I think when I said human, I might have offended her or something._ "I, uh, can't stay long. My friends might be looking for me. We came to the carnival together, and they'd go crazy if I-"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just... there was someone from my past who was human, and... well..."

"I see... I'm sorry that it didn't work out."

Alicia smiled. "You're so sympathetic. If there more good people like you, the world would be a much better place."

I smiled back. "Thanks. So you have a son? What's he like?"

"Oh, he's such a good boy. Although, he had been away for two years, and without him here is very lonely."

_Two years?_ Then it hit me. _Oh, boy._ "I think I know who you're talking about."

"Alright, Mom, the tea's ready. And it's your favorite: peppermint pea-" From the kitchen, Zephyr had walked in, holding a tray with two ceramic teacups and teapot. As soon as he saw me, his eyes widened, and you could just feel the awkwardness in the air. "Cheyenne, wh-what are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought _we_ were gonna have fun at the carnival," I answered. "I'd been waiting for you to come back, so I had to come and find you." He opened his mouth to talk. "And before you say anything, no, the guys didn't know that I left without them."

"Zephyr, is what I'm hearing true?" Alicia asked her son, turning her head at his direction. "Did you leave your friends because of me?"

His ears drooped in shame. "I can't lie to you," he said. "But you should blame Tracie and Melissa; they said you hadn't gone to the carnival about as long as I have, two years."

"Now, Zephyr, I'm glad to have you back home, but that doesn't give you any excuse to give up your social life for my sake. Go and have fun at the carnival, both you and your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?!" Zephyr and I questioned simultaneously.

_Great, another bubble to burst..._

* * *

Zephyr and I returned to the carnival, the Chaotix finding us shortly after, and were ready to go home. Once again, Zephyr had to perform his 'magic trick' to send everyone back. The timberwolf had thanked everyone for the good time today and left without another word. I was exhausted and wanted to sleep then and there. However, once again, Charmy was wired and buzzing around like a Tasmanian Devil. Espio explained that the little bee had eaten too much cotton candy and the sugar rush won't wear off for a while. A while happened to be two hours when he sluggishly started hovering over the stairs, and then walked up the rest of the way.

Later that night, I kept tossing and turning. Usually, I wouldn't be doing so; I would be out like a light, unmoving. I stared at the ceiling once more. Why couldn't I just be still? My head started throbbing a little, but then the pain increased, making it unbearable. I wanted to scream, but the guys were asleep, and I didn't want to wake them. It wasn't long until the pain became so intense that I fell into some kind of unconscious state.


	12. Flight School 101

I opened my eyes with a soft groan. However, my surroundings were... off. A black haze had filled the whole room, making it really hard to see.

"Hello?" I whispered. "Is anyone here?"

Silence.

"I know someone's here. Come out where I can see you!"

A small _creek!_ was heard. I glanced over, seeing the door open, and then quickly shut.

"_The time is nigh..._"

"Who-Who's there? I demand you answer me."

"_The time is nigh..._" The voice was distorted. There was no way to tell if the voice was male or female.

"I said show yourself!"

Instead of doing what I asked, the black haze started to surround me. It was trying to suffocate me! I tried to get away, but it stuck to me like glue. It wasn't long until I was cocooned in a deep darkness.

* * *

"KID!"

I sat straight up, heavily breathing. I felt sweat pouring down my face. "Wh-What? Huh?" I uttered. I looked around, seeing the guys look down at me. I was apparently on the floor, too.

"Christ, Kid," Vector growled. "You nearly gave us a heart attack."

"Yeah," Charmy agreed. "We thought you died."

I looked at them with confusion. "What are you guys talking about?" I asked. "And how'd I end up on the floor?"

"You rolled yourself off," Espio answered. "It seemed that you were having a seizure."

"A seizure? In my sleep?" _I don't remember that. I only remember that dream..._ I shook my head. "No. I wasn't having a seizure. But that nightmare was pretty scary."

Vector groaned, and started up the stairs. "Came this close to calling the damn hospital," he growled. "Gettin' me up in the middle of the night..."

_Geez, I'm sorry. It's not like I had any control over it._

"I'm going back to bed," Charmy said, lazily flying back up stairs.

Espio helped me back onto the couch. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I said, "but that nightmare..." I shivered. "I don't even know what that was."

He placed a gentle hand on my arm. "I'm sure it was nothing to worry about."

I nervously giggled. "Yeah, sure." A small headache remained. I placed a hand on my head. "I'm just hoping it doesn't happen again. I've got Immortal training in the morning." _And that really was not a normal nightmare..._

* * *

"Alright, Cheyenne," Silver spoke. "Since you've mastered the basics on how to control fire and having powerful physical attacks, the next step is the ability of flight."

"I'm gonna fly?" I asked. "How can I do that? Imagine that I have wings and trying to flap them around?"

"Well, you _do_ have wings. In fact, they're out right now."

I looked and there were my tiny wings sticking out, extending and distending like no one's business. _I'm gonna have to control that._

Blaze just looked on, not saying a word. That was really getting on my nerves.

"Hey, Silver," I whispered. "Do you think you could talk to Blaze for me? She hasn't spoken to me in over two months, and I already tried apologizing. It's like her heart's made of stone."

His face suddenly turned red. "Uh, well," he whispered back. "I'll try and talk to her later when today's training session is over."

_Why did his face turn so red?_ A smirk appeared on my face. "Methinks you have a thing for Blaze."

"Wha-?! No, I don't!" His eyes shifted to Blaze, as if he didn't want her to listen. "I only like her as a friend!"

"That's not what your face says." My smirk faded. "But seriously, could you talk to her for me? Please?"

He looked back at Blaze, then back at me. He nodded, agreeing to help me.

"Crikey, Sheila, your wings are so tiny!" Marine said, stretching my wings a bit forcefully. "How could you possibly fly with these tiny things?"

"Ow, Marine!" I said. "That hurts!"

"Sorry, but your wings are so small. There's no way they'd hold you in the air for very long."

"That's why we have this training session, Marine," Silver explained to the raccoon. "So that her wings will grow not only in strength, but in size as well."

"I've got a question," I interjected. "How do I know when my wings will... pop out?"

"Well, there may be times when they would pop out in unexpected situations, such as stress for example. Whenever you're stressed or angry, there's a chance that your wings come out when you don't want them to." The hedgehog gently stretched one of my wings out. "Your wings are pretty small, but that's only a minor setback. Just make sure you stretch your wings about four days a week and they should be ready to go after a week or two. You'd be a pretty decent flyer by springtime."

"How small are they?"

"Judging by their size..."

"Each wing's a foot-and-a-half long," Marine answered. "So that would mean you have a three foot wing span, Sheila. And if you include the spikes, which are about an inch-and-a-half, the wing's height would be about six inches." Silver and I looked at the raccoon in surprise. "What are you two looking at?"

"Marine, I didn't know that you were mathematically gifted," I said.

"I had a great tutor, Sheila. And his name was adventure."

_Wow. If Marine can be so intelligent at a young age, then it could be possible that Charmy might be as well. I definitely learned some new things today._

* * *

As I was making my way back to the detective agency, stretching my wings as I did so, a cold wind blew on by.

"Niece!" Zekrom appeared beside me, making me jump a little. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help overhear of your little predicament with Blaze. Now remind me. Why isn't she talking to you?"

"It's because she thought I was just like all Immortals, that I care only for myself," I explained.

"What?! That's not true! Sure, we Immortals give a cold shoulder now and again, but we really do care what mortals think and believe."

"And that's not all. I got a little mad and, well... kinda threw a fireball at her. But it was an accident, I swear!"

"I know. You would never intentionally harm another with your power. I know that feeling all too well."

I looked up at him, a sad look befallen on his face. "You do? How so?"

He shook his head. "I'll speak of it when your training is complete. Speaking of which..." A smile came on his face once more. "About to do some flying?"

"Yeah, but can't you see how tiny my wings are?"

"Oh, yes. The SWP."

"SWP?"

"Small Wing Problem. Luckily, I know how to make you fly in five minutes."

I brightened. "Really?! You could do that?! Alright! What do I do? What do I do?"

"There's one thing that worked out for me when I was starting to fly, and that was... jumping from a hundred-foot cliff with cold water and jagged rocks at the very bottom!"

My optimism and excitement suddenly left me. "Wh... What?"

"My brother thought I was mad to try a stunt like that, but then the look on his face afterward was worth it."

"Maybe you're still mad. I'm half-human, remember? There's the possibility that I could die! Weren't you afraid that you were gonna die attempting a stunt like that, even just a little?"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. Not that I can remember. Then again, my memory isn't quite what it used to be."

_Not very helpful for me..._

"Sorry."

I let out a huff. "Tell me Zekrom, can _all_ Immortals read minds?"

"Most can. There's that small percentage that can't read minds, and some of them have the ESP element too, which is a bit unusual. And you don't have to call me by my name; I'm not one for formalities."

"Then what should I call you?"

"You could call me Uncle or something like that."

"Okay... How about Uncle... Uh, Uncle, erm... Uncle... Zekkie (pronounced as Ze-key)?"

"I love it! You know, I've been trying to get Zephyr to call me Dad, but I guess that was a stretch. Well, see you later." He teleported away.

_So for me to be flying in a short amount of time, I'd have to jump of a cliff... Is Zekrom trying to kill me?! I'm not as outstanding and/or crazy as he is! There's no way I'd do something so dangerous and stupid!_ I shook my head. _I'm not gonna do it. Nope. Not gonna happen. Nuh-uh. Forget it... _I sighed.

* * *

"Flying lessons, huh?" Vector asked as he looked at my wings. "At least you'll go places in a matter of minutes. It'll also save on airfare."

"Ooh, so soft," Charmy said, burying his face in my right wing. "But not very big. Are your wings gonna grow, Chy?"

"I hope so," I answered. "I want them to carry my weight, at least."

"Boy, you gotta weigh a ton or something."

My jaw dropped at Charmy's comment, and Vector was trying so hard not to laugh. I glanced at the snickering crocodile. "Did you put him up to this?"

"No," he snickered.

"Yes, he did," Zephyr confirmed.

Vector cleared his throat. "No, no I didn't."

"Yeah you did," Charmy squeaked. "You were gonna give me $10 to say that to Chy."

"You bribed him?!" I exclaimed.

"I told him it wasn't a smart idea," Espio said. "But like always, he never listens to me."

I sighed deeply. _I guess I know how Espio feels. I feel like Blaze isn't listening to me, even though she hadn't spoken to me in weeks; and I don't think she'll ever speak to me again._

* * *

I was a bit hesitant in falling asleep. I didn't want to have another dream like the other night, but I didn't want to stare up at the ceiling all night either. So I went out, in my pajamas, through the forest. The air was cold and frigid, the snow melting a bit underneath my feet with every step I took. I'm sure you all can guess what I was going to do, but for now, bear with me. I needed some way to keep my mind away from sleep for a little while and there was one thing that was going to do so. My hair blew in a gentle cold breeze as I walked on the cold, hard earth. I then stopped. I stopped at the edge of a cliff; the same cliff where Zephyr and I had nearly died.

_I can't believe that I'm actually gonna do this. I must be related to Zekrom because I'm actually gonna jump. If I don't live, I want someone to tell my family and friends that I love them._ I gulped, and then closed my eyes. I let my body lean forward.

"DESIST YOUR FOOLISH ACTION!"

I stopped right before I fell. I turned around, seeing Reshiram.

"Reshiram!" I exclaimed.

"What does thou think you're doing?!" Reshiram yelled. "Committing suicide won't get you anywhere!"

"I'm not gonna kill myself, Reshiram," I explained. "I'm gonna try and fly."

Reshiram was instantly annoyed. "My brother gave you the idea, didn't he?"

"Well, it's better than just wait for another terrible dream to happen. Besides, I need to clear my head."

"Then don't do such a damnable stunt such as jumping from the cliff. Zekrom did that, and I thought the young fool was going to the afterlife. I was scared out of my wits."

I looked curiously at him. "You were scared?" He nodded. "You, Reshiram, the God of Truth, with world destroying powers, were scared?"

"Very unbelievable, I know. But he was, and is, so outrageous and wild that I honestly thought..." He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm not supposed to tell you this until after your training." He looked at me with weary eyes. "You know, you remind me of... someone I once knew. I'll... I'll see you another time." He teleported away.

_Someone he once knew...? I wonder who he meant._ I looked back out to the ocean, glancing down at the water and jagged rocks. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and then leaned forward. The rush of the cold wind whishing through my ears was building up the adrenaline, my heart pounding faster and faster with each second passing. I didn't dare open my eyes, for if I did, death would be the outcome. The sound of water crashing into the rock drew closer and closer. I thought that I had killed myself, for the sounds of the water were fading away and were replaced with the sound of flapping wings.

_Oh, dear God. I'm dead. That's it. I've gone and done it. I killed myself and now became an angel in Heaven. _When I opened an eye, my small wing was flapping. I opened the other eye, and looked at both wings then looked down. The ocean, the land, the entire world floor was so far from me. "I... I'm flying...!" I quietly exclaimed, then I screamed to the world, "I'M FLYING!" I was so happy that I was laughing like a fool in paradise, and wanted to do a loop-de-loop. So I did, and that made me stop flying for a brief moment, but I got that under control after a bit of wing flapping.


	13. Serena's True Colors

I was pretty happy that I was flying, and so was Silver. Unfortunately, even though I was flying, I still had to learn how to control my wings - how to summon them per se, and their ability to pop out when unwanted. This happened over the course of about 17 days. The summoning was actually kind of interesting; instead of trying to rip through your shirt or to rip your shirt completely off like in some books where the wings tend to destroy your favorite clothing, they seem to phase through it like a hologram or an illusion.

"After completing your flight training," Silver started, "there's one last test that you'll have to pass."

"Test?" I questioned. "Silver, I graduated high school last spring. I was done with tests when I passed my finals."

"It won't be that kind of test, trust me. The final challenge will test you on your knowledge, strength, and ability to use the element within you. In other words, you'll have to use everything you've got in order to pass."

"Oh. Great. So, when is it?"

"You can't know when the test will commence," Blaze spoke. "You'll have to keep on your toes, and wait until it does happen."

_Oh my, she speaks! I guess Silver did talk to her._ "You're talking to me now? I thought you weren't gonna speak to me ever again."

"I had someone... talk to me about that." She didn't glance at Silver, but up at the sky. I had an idea of who she might have been referring to.

"But, Blaze, I didn't..." Silver started.

"Chill, Silver, it's cool," I said. "I mean, as long bygones are bygones, right Blaze?"

She nodded, and I could've sworn that she showed a small smile.

_So Zekrom beat Silver to the punch. Can't win 'em all, I guess._

"C'mon now, Sheila! Start flapping those wings!" Marine called from the sidelines. "I wanna see action!"

I laughed a little. "Guess we better get started," I said.

* * *

I decided to take a little detour back to the detective agency, humming a song as I went along my merry way. I sat down next to a babbling brook, the snow around me starting to melt a little. A lovely wildflower or two bloomed in place. I guess there was a perk or two in having radiating body heat: you never get cold all that quickly, and you make a flower grow in the late winter. Well, truth be told, the snow was starting to melt in places, a sign that spring was approaching once more. Ah, spring. Where the weather's not too hot or cold; all you need is a light jacket and you're set.

As I sat next to the brook, I heard footsteps approach, the smell of cinnamon, honey, and bubblegum filling my nose. _Oh, the guys are here._ I one day learned that each individual had his or her own, as I'd like to call, hidden scent. It was weird at first, but then I was able to memorize who smelled like what. Charmy's scent was the most obvious; he smelled of honey. Espio smelled of cinnamon, I never quite expected that. Vector, of course, was bubblegum; he really liked chewing the stuff.

"Hey guys," I called as the Chaotix came through the bushes.

"How'd you know it was us?" Charmy asked.

I smiled as I shrugged. "Just a lucky guess."

"So whatcha doin' out here for?" Vector asked. "Aren't ya supposed to be at training right now?"

"I actually finished and decided to hang out here for a little bit. Now why are you guys out here?"

"Zephyr was wondering if you and him could talk," Espio explained.

I raised an eyebrow. "Talk about what?"

"He didn't say. But it seemed really important."

"Maybe he's gonna finally step up and claim you as his girlfriend," the croc snickered.

I stood up, brushing the dirt from my pants. "I wonder what he could want," I wondered. "I guess I'll go talk to him. Where's he at?"

"Right here." I looked up and there was Zephyr, hiding in the tree with leaves starting to bud on the bare branches.

_Even though I can smell everyone else, I could never smell Zephyr. Is that an Immortal thing or something, when I can't smell their hidden scent? Probably keeping it in or something._

The timberwolf jumped down from the trees, landing between the Chaotix and I. He glanced back at the guys. "I'll take it from here," he said. "You can leave now."

"Right, gotcha," Vector said with a wink, making Zephyr and I both uncomfortable and annoyed. The guys left us alone, and I made sure; their scents were fading away.

"Alright, Zephyr, what is it you need to talk to me about?" I queried.

"It's important," he said with a serious tone. "I heard from Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. They were feeling dark disturbances in their areas, as were the Regis, Ho-Oh, and Lugia."

"Hold on. 'Dark disturbances?' What do you mean?"

He looked around, making sure no one was listening. "Demons."

"Demons?"

He nodded. "And I don't mean like little imps or grotesque monsters or any of that fantastical crap. I mean real Demons. They've been escaping again. Do you know of a place called Tartarus?"

"Yeah, it's the place where the Grecian Titans and their father Cronus were banished to by Zeus for their misdeeds."

"Yes, but what the legends never told you is that after the Titans were banished, the Demons had already claimed Tartarus first as their home. The Demon king demanded that they go somewhere else, but Cronus did not want to stand down. It ended up with the two of them going against each other in a fight to the death. They were both pretty aggressive fighters. But then the Demon king lost his focus for one second, and ended up slain by Cronus. The Titan then crowned himself as the Demons' king, and he ruled ever since. The Demons were afraid of challenging the new king, so most obeyed without question. After several hundred years, they got used to their king and his children, practically worshipping him as they did with their old king."

"But what do Demons have to do with what's happening now?"

"Well, one day, Cronus got bored, so he decided to send some soldiers out to scare mortals whenever he felt like it. But it wasn't enough. The mortals got smart, putting up spell tags and performing purification ceremonies to keep them at bay whenever they could. That pissed him off, so he thought of ways to try to get around those spells. He tried dark magic of his own, but that ended up backfiring. Then, the idea struck him. He thought of using-"

"Chy-Chy!" A tackling hug from behind caught me off guard, nearly making me fall forward. Serena was holding tight, and didn't seem to be letting go. "I've barely seen you this winter! It's been _sooooo_ long!"

_Oh, dear God, get her off! Get! Her! OFF! Her happiness is way too unnatural!_

"Hey Serena," Zephyr smiled, laughing a little. "Nice to see you again."

"Oh! It's... you," she said slowly. "How've you been?" I saw her face, which was trying not to form a sneer.

_She's doing it again. Something's really wrong with her._

Zephyr suddenly whipped his head behind him.

"Zephyr, what is it?" I asked. "Do you hear something?"

He turned back to me. "Hey, I'll talk to you later, okay?" He walked through the bushes, leaving me alone with my doppelganger.

"Now that he's gone," Serena said, "we can totally do a lot of best friend stuff!" She squeaked in delight, making my ears ring a bit.

_Oh, I wish she would just drop dead._ The sun shone through the clouds as I happened to look at the ground. I saw my shadow, just barely at five o'clock. Serena's shadow, however... it was nonexistent. There was no shadow. _What the hell?!_ "Serena," I cautiously spoke. "Why don't you have a shadow?"

No answer.

"Serena, why don't you have a shadow?" I repeated.

A small, dark chuckle rose from her throat. "So... you've finally figured it out," she darkly said.

_Figured what out?__ It's not like she's a..._ A terrible thought hit me. _Oh, no!_

"That's right." She grabbed me by the arms and threw me into the nearest tree. I was stunned for a brief moment, then I tried getting up. But then she stomped down on my back, pinning me to the ground. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. Let's see what kind of power you've got, Half-Blood."

My eyes widened fearfully. _She... she knows...!_

She then picked me up by the back of my shirt and shot me with some kind of blast, sending me flying through the bushes. I backed away fearfully as she stepped toward me.

"Se-Serena," I shivered. "Wh-What are you doing? I never d-d-did anything to you."

"I know," she said casually, a dark smile on her face. Her eyes were now blood red, instead of the emerald green they once were. She pulled out a scythe, decorated pink on the handle, the blade as black as death. She traced her finger on the scythe's blade. "It's such a shame, really. I was actually starting to like you a little. But, orders are orders, after all."

"Orders? What orders?"

"Why, orders to... 'detain' you, of course. But Master didn't say how to 'detain' you, so I'm doing it my way." She glanced down at me. "You do know what I mean by 'detain', don't you?"

I didn't respond. I knew the answer already.

"But what surprised me was that neither you or that damn Half-Blood cousin of yours didn't realize what I was when we first met on that fateful day in the mall." A pair of large pink and blackish-purple bat-like wings grew from her back, a curved spike on each wing.

"But you were acting so happy, like a frickin' Mary Sue. It was really getting on my nerves."

"I know." Her dark smile sent shivers down my spine. "It was my job to find your dislikes and try to use them against you, which was pretty easy." She took a few steps toward me. "It's so sad that it has to end this way. But then again, there was no way for you to... Oh, I can't say it."

"Just say what you're gonna say and get it over with."

"Well... Alright. You were never gonna finish your training, anyway. Knowing you, you would never use your power against others. You're weak."

_Weak...?_

"You're weaker than weak."

_She better shut up...!_

"You never had the guts to use your powers, regardless if you knew about them or not."

I felt something stir within me, as if all the anger and pain that I held in for a long time started to manifest into something great. And... I think I liked it.

"And now, to end your misery." She raised her scythe above her head. "Goodbye, Cheyenne."

"I... think... not."


	14. Demonology 101

Serena raised an eyebrow. "What did you just say?" she asked.

I slowly rose to my feet. "I think... you heard me," I slowly spoke.

She darkly laughed. "Whatever you're gonna try, it's not going to work. You're too passive to try anything violent."

A dark aura had started swirling around me. "Care to make a bet, Demon bitch?"

She threw her head back in laughter. "You mean to tell me that you're going to try to kill me? Oh, that's too rich." She lowered her scythe to lean on it, trying not to fall over laughing.

I felt an uncomfortable smirk form on my face. "In other words... challenge accepted." The dark aura that encircled me started attaching itself to me, sticking to my very outline, until I looked and felt like my own shadow.

Serena stopped laughing to look at me. "Well, that's certainly interesting," she mused. "And I thought Shiro Tatsu was the most interesting thing about you."

"Methinks you thought wrong, daughter of darkness. Now then... shall we?"

The Demon gripped her scythe tightly, a determined look in her eyes. "Let's dance."

In as quick as a flash, she went straight for me, ready to take me down. She brought her scythe down, but I've somehow been able to hold it back. The scythe's blade was so sharp that blood started trickling down my hand. Serena pressed the blade harder and harder into my hand, but the pain didn't reach me. I wasn't sure why I wasn't screaming in pain, but I merely laughed and sent a dark flame to my Demon counterpart, and it sent her flying while her weapon was in my hand. But I didn't think of using her own weapon against her. No, it was more - satisfying? - to use my own two hands. Any and all common sense and thought had either left me or I was just ignoring it. Then... everything went black...

* * *

I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what came over me. It just happened. I blacked out. The last thing I remembered was when Serena challenged me. And now there she was, cold and lifeless, her blood rushing out of the open wounds on her stomach, torso, face, arms and legs. I looked at my hands, my nails grown long and sharp like claws of a wild animal. They were stained red, and just the smell made me want to puke my guts out. My eyes were wide with fear, and my legs were shaking so uncontrollably that they buckled underneath me. I just sat there, covered in the blood of my late enemy. She may have been Demon, but she was also - shall I say it - human. I felt a drop of water fall. I looked up at the sky. It had grown dark, and the rain started to come down hard. Even with the blood washing off of me, the smell of copper lingered.

_Oh, my God... what have I done? I... I actually KILLED someone...! My power... it's out of control! I... I need to leave, and never come back._ As I stood, I felt my stomach twist and turn, and then I threw up. I quickly wiped my mouth and ran away. I didn't care which way, just so long I stayed away from Serena's corpse. I didn't want to take the chance of being tried as a murderess. I ran and ran as far as my legs could take me until I stumbled and fell into a puddle on a dirt trail. I crawled to underneath a tree. It wasn't much protection from the rain, but I didn't care. My arms were cold, so I rubbed them to keep warm. My wings then covered my arms, but I was still cold. I wished my wings were bigger so that I could use them as a blanket or shawl.

"CHEYENNE! CHEYENNE!"

_That voice... Zephyr..._

Running footprints grew louder with each pounding step until Zephyr came into view, completely out of breath. I quickly looked away from him, not wanting to see his accusing stare.

"There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere," he said with worry. "Where the hell have you been? Why are you covered in blood?"

_Let's see, I killed a person, so that's the highlight of my day..._

"You WHAT?!" he yelled. "How could you do something so stupid?!"

I cringed from him yelling, still not looking at him. Tears started going down my cheeks. _But it was an accident! I didn't mean to! She pushed me! ...I think. I can't remember exactly..._

"She? She who?"

_You know the one girl who looks almost like me, right?_

I heard him stagger back. "You don't mean... _Serena_?! But why her?! She wouldn't harm a fly!" When I didn't respond, he knelt down to my level, gently grabbing my arm. "You're cold." A pause. "You feel really bad about what you did, don't you?" I slowly nodded, not meeting his gaze. Then suddenly, he put his hands on my shoulders, wrapping something around me. I glanced up a little, seeing he placed his jacket on me to keep me warm. I then looked up at him. I expected a look with a cold shoulder, but this was softer. Much softer than I expected.

"But... but why..." I started.

"Come on," he said, helping me to my feet. "Let's get you back to the detective agency, get you warmed up and-"

"NO! I... I don't wanna be trouble..."

He let out a sigh. "Alright. Let's just get out of this rain." He led me for a little while until we came across a small cave. It was even colder in the cave than it was in the rain. Zephyr started shivering uncontrollably, starting to curl into a ball.

I started taking off Zephyr's jacket. "You're gonna catch your death," I said, trying to hand it to him.

"N-n-nah, I'm fine," he shivered. He sneezed. "Don't worry a-about me."

"Zephyr... after what I did, you're still by my side. Why?"

"Well, for one, I'm not letting you freeze in the cold rain. You'd get sick. Second, it may not look like it, but we're family not only by blood, but by bond as well. I'm sure that what happened, it was a freak accident. We'll get through this."

"What do you mean 'we'? You weren't there; you didn't see what happened."

"We'll come up with a story, like we used to do before." He shivered a little more.

I looked at my hands, my nails still claw-like. "Is this... Is this going to be permanent?" I showed the shivering wolf my hands.

He looked at them, gently taking one of them. "W-well, your claws don't look like they'll be stuck like this. Try and give it some time; they'll return to normal." He gripped my hand tightly as he shivered. The pain of his claws seeping into my skin didn't sway me. Instead, I gently pulled my hand away.

"Zephyr, you're going to get hypothermia if you don't warm up soon." I brought my hands next to each other, a large fireball forming. Using my foot, I pulled a stick over to me and placed the flame on it. "Hopefully you'll be a bit warmer."

"Thanks, Cheyenne."

I looked out through the mouth of the cave, the rain still pouring down. Seeing the rain fall just reminded me of a sad song that echoed in my head. I started humming it, and then my mouth opened, and the world around me just disappeared...

"_Kurushitte itte kure yo, samishitte itte kure yo  
Mukae ni yuku donna toko e mo  
Ikanai de yo doko e mo, oite ka nai de  
__Bokura zutto futari de hitotsu darou  
Furitsumoru yuki to tomo ni kiete yuku kimi wo  
Dakishimeru koto shika dekinai yo  
Kanau nara mou ichido dake  
Kimi no koe ga kikitai...  
Yonde yo._"

"When'd you learn how to sing like that?" Zephyr asked.

I was shaken back to reality. I looked at Zephyr. "Like what?" I asked.

"The Japanese. How'd you learn to sing in Japanese?"

I shrugged. "I wanted to learn Japanese one day, but instead of trying to speak it, I got into the habit of singing it, and I've been singing Japanese songs ever since."

"I don't say this to most people, but you have a great voice. Ever tried recording?"

Again, I shrugged. "I never really thought about it much."

He chuckled a little. "And now I know why your nickname is Chy."

We laughed a little at the inside joke. Then, a moment of silence. Before, Zephyr just seemed like a nice guy to talk to. Now, to know that we have something in common, it just, I don't know, brightened something inside me. My eyelids started to get heavy, and then I drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

I woke up lying on the cold, hard ground, the sun shining through the cave mouth. I sat up and stretched a little, letting out a yawn. Zephyr quietly snored a few feet from me. Still wrapped up in his jacket, I took it off and covered the sleeping wolf's torso. I went outside, the sun shining brightly on a new morning.

"Niece!" Zekrom just popped up right in front of me, making me scream. "Forgive me! I didn't mean to scare you."

"Tell that to my bloody heart attack!" I yelled.

Zephyr stumbled out of the cave. "What's going on?!" he asked. "What's wrong?! I heard a scream!" He then looked up at Zekrom and I, and his nerves went away instantly, turning into annoyance. "Oh. That explains it." He stood up.

"I said I was sorry," Zekrom pouted. "Besides, I came by to bring Cheyenne some congratulations."

"Congratulations?" Zephyr and I asked simultaneously.

"For what?" I asked.

"For killing off a demon, of course!"

_F ME! HE KNOWS!_

"It's not everyday that a Half-Blood trainee kills off their Demon Doppelganger. I've yet to be rid of mine..."

"Wait a minute," Zephyr pondered. "By 'Demon Doppelganger', could you mean..." He glanced at me, cluing me in on Serena.

"Okay, okay, back up," I spoke. "So, Zekrom, you're saying that me killing Serena... is a good thing?"

"Who?" Zekrom asked.

"Serena, my doppelganger."

"Oh, yes, Demon Doppelgangers usually have a name to associate themselves with to avoid confusion with the original person, as well as changing a few other attributes."

_Okay, now I'm confused._ I tilted my head to the side to show how confused I was.

"Oh yeah, I was about to tell you," Zephyr explained. "Cronus tried finding a way to go around protection spells and seals, remember?" I nodded. "Well, he did find a way, and it just happened to be a type of cloning process. How it's done is by taking the blood from people and Immortals."

"But how the Doppelgangers are formed is completely unknown," Zekrom interjected. "But I'm sure that they're unlike full-blooded Demons, which are born from the Demon queen's blood, sweat, and tears. That, and dark energies from Tartarus's mines."

"And because of the Doppelgangers being born," Zephyr continued, "they're able to slip by and remove the spells and seals almost without detection. Then they let the latter out into the mortal world so they could devour the souls of the living."

_Oy vey, this is A LOT of information to take in. I think I need some sort of Demonology book or something to help explain this a little better._

"Demonology? You got it!" Zekrom chimed, pulling a book practically out of thin air. The book was indeed titled _Demonology: History and How to Repel_. He put the book in my hands.

_Three. Three total._

"What's with three?"

"It's the number of those who can read minds," I answered.

* * *

**A part of the song used in this chapter is Soundless Voice by Kagamine Len. A very sad song if you haven't heard. :'(**


	15. The 'Princess' and Sucky Beginnings

Zephyr's ears started to twitch. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," Zekrom answered.

"What?" I questioned. "What are you hearing?" Both their heads looked to the sky, each head looking a different way. "Seriously, what are you guys hearing that I'm not?!" Then they both shushed me. "How rude."

"Quiet," Zephyr said, then went silent.

I let out a sigh, and started to read the Demonology book. _Next time you tell me to be quiet, I'll kick you right in your-_ A sudden tornado picked me up and started carrying me around like I was on a parade float! I kept a tight hold onto my book as I involuntarily flew around. "WUAAAH! HELP ME!" I yelled.

"Keep calm!" Zekrom called. "They like that kind of attention!"

"They?! Who's they?!"

"'_Who's they_,'_ she says!_"

"_She's such a riot!_"

"_Not to mention quite a looker._"

"_You said it!_"

Two male voices bantered back and forth, and because of their bantering, I was starting to get mad.

"Alright, wise guys," I called. "Come out and face me!"

"_Or what?_" the first voice taunted.

"_What are ya gonna do, Princess_?" the second voice spoke with a laugh.

"Thundurus! Tornadus!" Zekrom called. "I demand you stop your acting out! Or shall I send for your brother?"

"W_hatever, old man,_" the second voice scoffed.

"_Buzz kill!_" the first voice called out.

The tornado disappeared, and I dropped like a rock. Luckily for me, Zephyr was able to catch me... sort of. I actually landed on him. Though I must admit he was almost like a pillow. I got off the timberwolf and helped him back up.

"Now come out, you two," Zekrom continued, "and greet my niece properly."

In a puff of green smoke, and a puff of blue smoke, two teenage boys had appeared. They both had yellow eyes with white pupils and wild white hair. The one on my left had a green and purple stripe on the right side with skin as white as a sheet, and the other with a blue and black stripe on the left side with mid-tan skin like he went to the beach, and to top it all off... they were naked. I looked away before I saw anything inappropriate, my back turned to them, my face burning with embarrassment.

"For the love of God, put some clothes on!" Zephyr yelled.

"This isn't what I meant about greeting my niece _properly_!" Zekrom yelled. "I will send for Landorus!"

"C'mon, old man," the first voice said. "Lighten up. Let the pretty girl take it all in."

"You perverts!" I yelled, still looking away. "What makes you think I wanna look at... _that_?!" I folded my wings over my eyes.

"Aw, don't act like you don't like it, baby," the second voice. "Yo, Thundurus, what say we give her another whirlwind roundabout?"

"Sounds like a plan, Tornadus," Thundurus replied with a chuckle.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I moved one of my wings out of the way to see who it was. It was a man with red skin, also with yellow eyes and white pupils and wild white hair like Tornadus and Thundurus had, but with an orange stripe on the left side and a brown stripe on the other. He wore a red shirt with a brown blazer and jeans, but he didn't wear any shoes.

"Excuse me," said the man, "but are my idiot brothers causing trouble?"

"Uh, _your_ brothers?" I asked. "Who exactly are you?"

The man smiled. "I'm Landorus. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He looked up, possibly looking at Thundurus and Tornadus. "Looks like they're making a scene." He slowly shook his head. "Morons. One second." Landorus walked by me, footsteps fading a bit before stopping. I didn't see what was happening, but the next thing I knew, the two troublemakers were screaming and begging for mercy I think. Following that were little whimpers of pain, and then there was some yelling from Landorus. Finally, everything settled and Landorus gently called to me, "Alright now, young miss. You can look now. I assure you that they're decent."

I turned back and sure enough, Tornadus and Thundurus were fully dressed. They both dressed in hoodies, blue jeans, and hi-kick shoes.

"Now you two, what do you say to the nice girl?"

"Sorry," Tornadus quietly uttered in shame.

"Yeah, sorry," Thundurus spoke in the same tone.

_Wow, one minute they're annoying and stupid, the next they're like guilty little children. How does Landorus put up with them?_ "How'd you get them to calm down like that?" I asked Landorus.

"It's never easy," Landorus admitted. "They're such a pain in the ass."

"You think _we're_ a pain," Tornadus spoke, "then you should meet some of the kids that wander around unsupervised at home."

"Yeah," Thundurus agreed. "Victini, Hoopa, Mew, the whole lot of 'em."

I tilted my head to the side, confused. "Kids?" I asked. "I thought all Immortals were, you know, adults."

Tornadus scoffed. "Big surprise," he said. "Princess doesn't know a thing."

"How stupid can she be?" Thundurus chimed.

"I'm smarter than you two would ever be!" I yelled. "And stop calling me 'Princess'!"

"Oh no! Princess is throwing a royal tantrum!" Tornadus laughed.

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared," Thundurus chimed.

_Hold on a minute. Where did I see kids? Oh, that's right! _"I remember," I said, " when I first went into the temple, there were portraits, and some of them had kids in them." I threw a side glance at Zephyr. "I guess _someone_ left out a little fact or two."

"Hey, don't blame me," the timberwolf spoke. "You were the one who wanted to know everything, remember?"

"Well then," Landorus spoke, "if that's the case, then I'll let you have this." He knelt down, placing one of his hands palm down onto the dirt. Like a zombie rising from the graveyard, a book had appeared. And it wasn't dirty either. Pretty awesome. "This book shall give you information on all the Immortals of Mobius."

"She doesn't need to know _everything_ everything," Zekrom said with a nervous chuckle, then held out his hand. "Now you can just hand the book over to me, and-"

"But Zekrom, if she needs to know anything of our world, then this book shall help and guide her. We wouldn't want her to be lost within our way of living, now would we?" As he spoke, a warm, gentle smile was easily placed on his face. Zekrom tried swiping the book from his friend's hand, but Landorus gave the book to me with the greatest of ease, almost acting like the Dragon god wasn't even there. "As long as you hold that book," he said to me, "you'll know everything there is to know about the eternal lives that which we live."

"Well, uh, thank you," I said. "But I'm not exactly..."

"Don't worry. We know. You're still training, that I understand."

"Yes, but it's not only that. I'm also..."

"Half-mortal, I know. But no need to fear. You'll do fine in the final test."

"That is, if Princess can even pass it," Tornadus whispered to Thundurus. "Which she won't."

"Yeah, she's gonna have her royal butt handed to her," Thundurus whispered back.

Without warning, Landorus smacked the two upside their heads. "Now now, there's no reason for your badmouthing, you two," he said. He glanced at me and smiled. "The Immortals you'll meet are actually quite pleasant. On that note, we shall meet again in the future." The three of them turned into wind and blew away.

* * *

"I'm so nervous about that final test," I said to the Chaotix. 'Twas about nighttime when I finally returned to the agency, and Vector almost threw a big hissy fit. Good thing Espio used some kind of nerve technique on the croc to make him fall asleep before he exploded. He went facedown onto the couch across from me. "I'm not sure that I can do it."

"What's the goal behind this 'final test'?" Espio asked. The ninja chameleon sat next to me. Of course, he sat cross-legged.

"I'm not sure. It's some kind of secret, I think."

"Why don't you ask about it?" Charmy squeaked. The little bee sat on my lap.

"I did ask, but Blaze said that I'll have to wait for it to start, and I'm not sure how long that will be. I'm getting jittery just thinking about it."

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think it would," Espio calmly stated. "As long as you focus on the goal in mind, you'll be able to achieve it."

I took a deep breath, then showed a small smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Espy. Thanks."

"You're welcome-" He paused. "Uh, what did you call me? Espy?"

"It's a nickname I came up for you. That is, if you want me to call you by that. I mean, we are friends, right?"

He was quiet for a moment. "It makes me sound... nonthreatening. A perfect façade. I like it."

A bigger smile grew on me. "I'm really glad you like it." I yawned. "Man, I'm exhausted."

"It is late, isn't it?" He got up and jumped to the base of the stairs. "And don't worry about Vector. He'll be asleep for about an hour or so. Come on, Charmy. Cheyenne needs her sleep."

"Aw, but I wanna stay up," Charmy whined.

"Charmy," I said, "even grown-ups need their sleep, so I'd be very happy if you were to go to bed."

"Okay. Goodnight, Chy." He buzzed right up the stairs. Espio bowed his head and followed the little bee up the stairs.

I turned off the main lights and turned on Vector's desk lamp. I was going to read the book Landorus gave me, so that I could fill my brain with everything I already knew and everything I wanted to know. I sat at the desk, took a deep breath, and opened to the first page. Each word that was on the paper made my brain wake up, interesting facts and stories about the Immortals fluttered across the pages of my mind. I wasn't sure how long I was reading until I heard the croc groan.

"Oh, my head," he grumbled. "When I get my hands on Espio, I'm gonna... Wait a minute." I glanced up from my book just as soon as he turned to me. "Hey! What are ya doing in my desk?"

"I'm doing a bit of reading," I said. "I didn't want to wake you up. You seemed so peaceful when you're facedown between the couch cushions."

"Ah, shut up." He let out a deep sigh. "I'm losing the disrespect of my teammates."

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, like you haven't noticed. You always go AWOL on us..."

"I have Immortal training, you know that."

"Espio and I always disagree whenever we're on a case..."

"He's usually right, but you don't listen."

"And Charmy's always screwin' around."

"He's just a little kid."

"Ya know, sometimes I don't know why I even started this detective agency in the first place."

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget it, Kid. You wouldn't understand."

"I would if you tell me, and if you want me to keep it secret, I can do that."

The croc let out another sigh. "I never told the boys. What makes you think I'll tell you?"

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, croc, what kind of dark detective secret are you hiding? I already heard interesting stories from the other two."

"Well... It all started when I was just a kid. My parents had always thought that I would become a great lawyer because my grandpa was a greater judge, stern but fair. But I just couldn't live up to their expectations. I was too 'expressive' and 'free-willing', they said. So when I was 14, I ran away. But the sad thing was I didn't have plan to fall on, so I just winged it as I went on the road. Then one day, I saw a thief made trying to make off with a lady's purse, so I stepped in and became a hero... for a brief moment. I got jumped in an alleyway a few days later by a bunch of thugs, and one of the guys was the same guy who tried to make off with the lady's purse! Anyway, by the time I was 19, that's when I decided that I wanted to be a detective, so that I could not only act tough, but also be tough. I thought I could do the gig alone, ya know. But then things started to pick up, and I knew I had to have a sidekick."

"So then you found Espio," I concluded, "and had him to join you - which he did, and some time after that, you found and took in Charmy when he had nowhere to go and no one to turn to."

"Uh, yeah. Of course, there was one other guy..." His face turned angry. "But we didn't exactly part on good terms. He wanted to travel around the world instead of staying in the detective business."

"You should've been happy about that."

"Huh? What do you-"

"He was pursuing his own definition of dream fulfillment, and by the sound of things, you were trying to deny him of that fulfillment. You should have been happy that he was going to bring one of his fantasies to light."

The croc opened his mouth, about to say something, but instead let out a sigh. "I'm goin' to bed." He got up off the couch and headed up the stairs. Halfway up, he said, "Now you're not gonna be blabbing about this, right Kid?"

I lifted my hand. "I swear by my grandma's grave."

"Good." He continued up the stair flight whilst I continued reading by the desk light. But as I read, a sudden thought had bubbled in my head.

_Every member of the Chaotix has had a sucky childhood. I guess I can somewhat relate. We all needed an escape from the lives we were set to follow and carved our own paths by doing something that would help others. I guess, in some sort of ironic, poetic way, we're the same._


	16. Enter the Sexist Ricardo

I woke up slouched over the desk, my cheek planted into one of the book pages. The sun was peaking in through the window and it shone right in my eyes, making me blink a few times. I stretched a little, then rubbed my sleepy eyes. The smell of cooking food wafted through the air, and I instantly recognized one food that would send me to Heaven: bacon. Oh how I love bacon. Being a meat eater, I would eat meat until the day I die, and you could never turn me vegetarian or vegan. Nothing against the two, really; it's just that we need protein to stay healthy, and without protein, we'd look kinda... sickly. A slight turn of the head and Espio came in with a plate.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning, Espy," I said with a yawn.

"You fell asleep reading your book, it seems."

"Yeah, I just had to check it out. I guess even Immortals make stupid mistakes like we do from time to time. Not so different from us." I smelled the air again. "Why do I smell good smelling food? That smell never wafts in this place."

The ninja chameleon put the plate down in front of me. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausages were on the fragile, usable disc. I felt my mouth begin to water. "You've been progressing well in both your training styles, so I thought you deserved a little reward for your hard work."

"Aw, thanks so much, Espy. I haven't had any of these in a long while."

"I'm sure. However, you might want to eat it fast."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Hey, Charmy, smell what I smell?"

"It smells really good!"

I gulped. "Uh-oh."

"Exactly," Espio confirmed.

At that moment, Charmy and Vector came at me full speed, chanting 'Food, food, food!'. As soon as they lunged for me, I grabbed my plate, jumped on the desk, and quickly jumped into the air, flying to the other side of the room, landing perfectly on my feet with catlike skill. Vector and Charmy on the other hand nearly toppled over when Vector tried hurdling over the desk and Charmy fell underneath the croc's stomach.

"That's gonna hurt tomorrow," Vector groaned.

"Vector, you're crushing me!" Charmy gasped. "I can't breathe!"

"Your reflexes have improved very well," Espio praised me.

"Thank you," I said. "After all, I did learn from the best."

A modest smile appeared on the chameleon's face. Then, there was a knock on the door. I set the plate down for just a moment to answer. It was a red gorilla with a peach colored muzzle wearing a business suit, his eyes as black as coal.

"Uh, may I help you?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for Vector the Crocodile of the Chaotix Detective Agency," he replied.

I took a closer look at him. He seemed normal, but... _Oh, boy, this guy looks like bad news. Better send him on his way._ "I'm sorry, but he isn't here at the moment. If you'd like, I can take a message and make sure he-"

"You're lying."

I shook my head in surprise. "What? No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. How I know is your tell."

"My tell?"

"Yes. You look me in the eyes a brief moment after you size me up, and then you try to intimidate me with those eyes of yours to get me to run away. So... where is he?"

_Wow. He's like Sherlock Holmes in gorilla form. Regardless..._ "I'm not the type who's gonna rat my boss out, so you can just pack up your bananas and leave, you... you... _monkey_." I was about to close the door on him, but he was quick, and held the door open.

"I'm afraid, my dear, that's not going to happen."

I looked behind me, seeing Vector brush himself off. "Uh, Boss, we got trouble here."

"What is it?" Vector asked, approaching the door. As soon as he saw the gorilla, a vicious snarl formed on his face. "Oh, fuck," he muttered.

The gorilla grinned. "Hello, Vector," he calmly spoke.

"Ricardo. Never thought I'd see _your_ ugly mug around here again."

Ricardo chuckled. "Still the jokester as always." He turned his eyes to me. "I see you've got yourself a trophy girl. What is she, your cheerleader?"

"Excuse me, but I'm a part of this agency as a detective," I said coldly. "So don't you make any sexist remarks, statements, or call out any sexist stereotypes. Got it, pal?"

"Oh, a smart one. Still, looks beat all. Now, allow me in."

"No way am I-"

"Let 'im in, Kid," Vector interjected.

I was about to oppose, but Ricardo let himself in. I pulled Vector aside. "What's the deal with this Ricardo guy that's got you steamed?" I whispered.

"Let's just say we're longtime enemies in a longtime war that's never gonna end," he replied. "Fucking bastard thinks he's better than everyone else."

"Yeah, I can tell. Is he some kind of sleazy businessman, or..."

"Later, Kid, later." He turned to Ricardo, who laid on the couch relaxing and eating my breakfast. "So, Ricardo, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"What, can't I visit an old friend without my motives being questioned?" the gorilla nonchalantly asked between bites of bacon.

"Cut the crap. Now why are you really here?"

Ricardo gulped down his food and let out a deep sigh. "See, my business has been suffering a lot lately, and I'm losing money by the minute."

_Business tycoon. Of course._

"I needed some way to gain back my profits and finally be rid of my top competitor, but I didn't know how to do so. But then, I heard from an anonymous source that you have a... female... working in your office."

_By anonymous, he probably means Eggman and his little robot servant._

"What could you want with our Kid?" Vector questioned, not letting his guard down for one second.

"I need her, if she's capable enough, to perform a... certain task for me," Ricardo replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "What sort of task?" I asked.

"I fear that my rival is behind the source of my profits going in the toilet. I invited him over for a drink tomorrow, and I need you, girl, to pose as my new maid and seduce him."

"Remember what I said about the sexist remarks," I growled.

"I'm not asking you to get touchy-feely with him. I need you just need to work him over enough to get information from him, to get him to reveal secrets of his success by any means necessary. Do you accept? I promise your reward will be great."

_Work a case by myself? I don't know, something just doesn't feel right about this._

"Do we have a deal or what?"

"Don't do it, Kid," Vector whispered harshly. "He's only gonna end up screwing you over, reward or no."

I looked between him and the gorilla, the decision coming to mind. "I'll do it," I said.

"WHAT?!" Vector yelled.

"Excellent," Ricardo applauded.

"But only on _one_ condition."

"Condition? What condition?"

"You allow my friends to come along."

The gorilla sneered at my teammates. "Them? Why should I even consider?"

"See, Vector's been trying to find a hardcore solo mission for me to go on for a while, and the three have to observe me from afar and not interfere to see what course of action I take during this time. I think this is the perfect mission for this experiment. Isn't that right, Boss?" I looked back at the croc, who was stunned in silence. He shook his head to focus, getting in on the act.

"Yeah, that's right," Vector said as confidently as he could. "We could pose as your security guards or somethin', the boys and I. Whadda ya say, Ricardo?"

Ricardo merely stared at us, time seeming to have slowed or even stopped. He, then, let out a defeated sigh. "Very well. They'll... accompany you." He got up off the couch, heading to the door. "A limousine shall come and pick you up tonight." He stopped at the door, appearing to be waiting for something. He cleared his throat, looking at me as he did so, his eyes moving from me to the door.

"Your arms or hands aren't broken," I said, arms crossed.

He huffed and opened the door himself. "You may act all tough, but you need to mind your manners while you're in my estate." He slammed the door behind him.

I waited a moment before exclaiming, "Ooh, the nerve of that ape! I should've punched him right in that simian face of his!"

"But you totally kept your cool and got us the case of a lifetime!" Vector laughed, taking me by the shoulders. "Where'd you come up with that amazing lie? Ah, who cares! We're gonna be rich! It's about time I got my due!" He let me go and was whooping, hollering, dancing, and laughing about, making Espio, Charmy, and I really confused.

"What the heck's wrong with Vector?" Charmy asked.

"I'm... not sure," Espio answered. "This is strange, even for him."

"Vector, what is it about Ricardo that makes you hate him so much?" I asked the happy croc.

Vector stopped dancing, his face turning serious. "You really wanna know?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, what's the deal?"

He let out a sigh. "It's a long, sad story. That's all you need to know."

_What's sad about it? It's not like at some point he and Ricardo were..._ A thought popped in my head. "Were the two of you... best friends?"

His eyes widened with surprise. "How'd you know that?!"

I shrugged. "I don't know; it just came to me."

"You're right, ya know. Ricardo and I _were_ best friends. Then something happened, and we swore we'd never have to see each other again. The end."

"But what exactly happened?"

The croc shook his head. "Nope, not sayin' anymore."

"Alright, I understand." _He really doesn't wanna talk about it. But I respect his decision to not tell._

* * *

Later that evening, the limo did arrive and took us to the outskirts of Mobotropolis. There was nothing but land for miles. Charmy got bored after being all excited about riding in a limousine for the first time and fell asleep on my lap. Vector sat across from me and was snoring. Espio sat next to him, trying to meditate through the crocodile's loud snores, but when the limo would make a right, the sleeping Vector would lean on him and the ninja chameleon had to push him off. As the land zoomed by, I let out a small yawn. But I had to keep my eyes open, just in case I were to see something interesting.

"How much longer do you think it is to Ricardo's estate?" I asked Espio. "I'm seeing nothing but land."

"I'm not entirely sure," he answered as he tried to hold the croc upright. "We've never been this far outside the city before." He glanced back at the sleeping croc, let out a sigh, and moved out of his seat, letting Vector fall over. He then sat next to me. "You'd think Vector would stay awake to see what his rival's estate would look like. Are you sure you want to go through this?"

"I got us into this, and I'm gonna see this through to the end." I yawned a little louder, without intending to do so.

"Why don't you sleep a little while?"

"So that Ricardo can get his mitts on me when we get there while I'm asleep? Hell no!"

"I'll make sure to wake you up before that happens."

"Okay then, Espy. I'm counting on ya to do so." I closed my eyes for, literally, a brief minute before the limo came to a grinding halt, making my eyes pop open. "Are we there?" I got up, placed Charmy on my seat, and shook Vector a little to wake him up. "Vector. Vector." No response. "Hey look! A million dollars!"

"Where? Where?" Vector woke with a start. He sat up and stretched. "Are we there already? Time just flew on by, didn't it?"

"That's because you were asleep for most of the drive," Espio answered. He gently shook Charmy, who woke up in a sleepy daze.

The limo door opened, everyone piled out and then stared in awe. The building was HUMONGOUS. It looked like a mansion and half of another mansion that was piled all together. There was a small stairway that led just to the front door, and at the top stood Ricardo, who was very... delighted to see us here - and I guess by us, I mean _me_.

"Finally, you're here," Ricardo spoke as we reached the top of the stairs. "About time. You remember what the plan was, right, girl?"

"I have a name, and yes," I said with a small growl. "I'm suppose to pose as your new maid and seduce your business rival when he arrives here tomorrow, for you invited him over for a drink."

"Very good. This shall be your uniform." From behind his back, he pulled out a hanger, and on the hanger was a French maid outfit - pantyhose and French heels included. I felt my eyelid twitch in irritation and anger.

"Hey Vector, isn't that the same outfit we made Espio dress up in?" Charmy asked.

"I think it is," Vector spoke, trying not to laugh.

"Remember what I said about the sexism, pal," I growled at the gorilla.

"Now, follow me," Ricardo said. We followed him inside and the inside was marvelous. It looked like the inside of a castle, maybe even better. We took a turn into a hallway, Ricardo stopping at a door. "This shall be your room, girl."

_If he calls me 'girl' one more time, a head's gonna roll...!_

"Now if the... gentlemen will follow me." The gorilla led the Chaotix away from me, leaving me alone. I opened the door, and the room was lovely. A queen sized mattress with one of those privacy curtain things, a walk-in closet, and a little porch to look out from outside the window.

"Even though Ricardo's a sexist dick, this room is absolutely divine," I said to myself, and then threw myself on the bed. It was so comfortable and felt like a cloud of cotton candy. My eyes slowly closed, and I went into dream land.


	17. Zephyr's Love and the Unown Note

Early the next morning, there was someone knocking rapidly on the door. With some angry, tired muttering, I forced myself off the comfortable bed and slinked over and opened the door. Ricardo stood there, very impatient.

_You think he could've waited just a little bit for me to get ready..._

"Why aren't you ready?" he impatiently asked. "Hurry up and get dressed. My business rival's going to be here in about seven hours."

"Isn't that more than enough time for me to get ready?" I queried, yawning.

"Absolutely not. Now hurry, girl." He slammed the door.

I let out a loud, exasperated sigh and got into my 'uniform' which took for-frickin'-ever to put on. I looked at myself in the mirror of the walk-in closet, and I looked, and felt, ridiculous. Not only did I want to punch Ricardo, I also wanted to punch whoever made this stupid outfit in the first place. I left my room, walking in high heels - which for me is next to impossible and very uncomfortable. Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned around and saw the guys.

"Lookin' good, Kid," Vector spoke, then sounded the cat call whistle.

"You're too kind, really," I said with a growl.

"Why's your hair messy?" Charmy asked.

_Where's a hairbrush when you need one? _"Ricardo rushed me to get ready, even though there's plenty of time before the competitor shows up." I let out a sigh. "I really hope it's gonna be worth helping the sexist moron." I felt a chill go down my spine. "What the...?"

"What's wrong?" Vector asked.

"I got this chill just now. It feels like something's about to happen."

The croc scoffed. "C'mon, Kid, the only people who get that kind of feeling are either in novels or movies. This is real life."

"Well, real life or not, I can't ignore it."

"Ah, you're finally ready." I turned around, and there was Ricardo walking toward me. "You're a little... bustier than I first thought, but a maid's a maid."

_You're lucky I'm holding myself back from kicking you in your family jewels..._

"But your hair is a mess. You need to get that fixed immediately. My rival is going to be here in about five and a half hours."

_Again, that's more than enough time to get ready, you stupid fucking moron!_

"Time is of the essence, girl. Chop-chop." He turned his simian butt around and left the four of us alone.

"I can see why you hate him so much, Vector," I said when Ricardo was out of sight. "He is such an irritable jerk."

"Welcome to my world," the croc said, then paused. "Ya know, Kid, we don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Well... I've kinda been second guessing myself... But I'm gonna get through this."

Vector patted my back. "Atta girl, not backing down from a challenge. The boys and I gonna are gonna look around. Wanna come?"

"Thanks but no, I'll just sit in my room and try to relax a little."

"Alright, then." The guys started to leave, but then Espio stopped and turned to me.

"If you get into trouble, don't be afraid to scream," he said.

I nodded. "Don't worry, Espy. I'll scream until my lungs and throat give out."

He chuckled and then followed the other two. I returned to my room, taking those damned heels off my feet, and just laid down on the bed.

_By the time this is over, I'm gonna give that stupid ape a few choice words..._

"I can imagine what some of those words would be." I instantly sat up in surprise, seeing Zephyr sit at the foot of my bed. "And they sure as hell won't be pretty ones either."

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"You and the rest of Chaotix weren't at the agency this morning, so I tracked you down to the stupid ape's estate."

I raised an eyebrow. "How did you track me? Do you have an innate sense of smell?"

"Not really. A fun fact about Immortals is that they can teleport to anywhere or to anyone they desire - that being you have the ability to teleport. So why are you detectives here? Don't you know Vector hates that gorilla?"

"I know that the croc hates the sexist dick of a monkey. We, or should I say _I_ am on a case to find out the secrets to Ricardo's rival's success."

"And the outfit?"

"Posing as the new maid."

"Ah." He stared a minute. "Your hair's a mess."

"Yeah, I know."

"One minute." He teleported away, leaving me alone for a moment, and then reappeared in the same spot. In his hand was my hairbrush. "Figured you could use this."

"Oh, thank you." He handed me the brush and I started brushing out my tangled rat's nest. "You know, I've read a bit of the book Landorus gave me, and I just gotta know one thing."

"Shoot."

"Is it true that little trivial facts about people will just pop into one's head from time to time? I just find that impossible."

"Well, it varies from one Immortal to the next. Even though I'm a Half-Blood, it happens only with people I know. Arceus can see all, so he might have a bit of a headache. Cresselia doesn't have that quirk at all, and she has the ESP element. Now to wait and see how much you know about people." He glanced around the room. "This is pretty nice."

I shrugged. "It is lovely, but..."

"But?"

"It's too... great, too... luxurious. It makes you appreciate the smaller things in life."

"Huh." He looked around once more. "I never would have thought of that."

I lowered my hairbrush, then moved my bangs from my eyes. "What makes you say that?"

He looked back at me. "Oh, uh, it's just that my ex wanted to live in a place like this."

"I might be pushing a button here, but... tell me more about her."

The timberwolf raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why do you want to know about the girl who broke my heart?"

"Just tell me. Please. This will be the only time I ask about her."

"I don't know... But I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to someone about it."

_Alright. Time to get the whole story._

He took a deep breath. "This was back when I first found out that Zekrom was my dad, and I just left home to start my training at the Temple of Hajime. I was wandering around Mobotropolis like a tourist on vacation. But the city was a lot bigger and flashier than Bridgeport, so of course I had to gawk at it for a little while. On my tour, I heard a scream for help. I peeked around a corner and there was a girl surrounded by scumbag thugs. One look at me, and they went running. The girl was so thankful... and very beautiful, with the eyes... And the hair... And a smile that just..." He let out a lovelorn sigh.

"And this beautiful girl just happens to be your ex girlfriend, right?" I asked.

"Hey, who's telling the story here, me or you? Anyway, her name was Tammie she said. She even treated me to a movie for thanks. As a year passed, we knew each other's likes and dislikes, she let me move in with her, I even met her parents. Nice folks, but I believe her dad thought I was doing something I shouldn't, and I couldn't blame him. I loved her so much, and I didn't want to hurt her."

_Didn't want to hurt her?_ "So what happened?"

His ears sadly drooped. "One night, Tammie and I were out taking a walk through the park. It was also the night I was about to propose to her. But then there was some trouble that decided to bother us, and that led to me revealing... my true self. The next morning, she said she needed to be alone to think our relationship over. Translation: she wanted me to get out and never see her again. So I packed up and left for the temple. But when the training started..."

"You couldn't focus on it because of your breakup," I interrupted. "And then some of your abilities came in and made the training harder for you."

"Yeah. That's right. By the time I turned 20, I completed my basic training a few months before I met you. It was also the same time I started living with Ms. Vanilla and her daughter."

_Something isn't adding up..._ "Wait a minute. You told me before that Tammie said you two were through and you never saw her since."

"I guess I'm not a good storyteller..." He shook his head, looking away from me. "Or a good guy."

"Oh, c'mon, Zephyr." I placed a caring hand on the timberwolf's shoulder. "You are so a good guy. You did what you thought was right."

"How would you know? You weren't there."

"True, but Tammie should have at least considered your feelings. A dragon is the most emotional creature in existence. You know why that is? It's because a dragon's power is derived from its emotions, and to break a dragon's heart... It's like taking the will to fight away."

He glanced up at me, his eyes seeming to have glimmered with hope a little. "What makes you so sure about that?"

"Please, you're talking to a girl who read a Dragonology book on a planet where dragons are but mythical creatures. I know exactly what I'm talking about."

A small, sad smile grew on his face. "Thanks, Cheyenne."

Once more, there was fierce rapping on my door. "I swear if it's that stupid ape, I'm the one who's gonna go bananas." I got off the bed, put my heels back on, and walked to the door. But before I reached for the knob, an envelope slid from underneath. I knelt down and picked it up, getting a closer look at it. It didn't say who it was from, but it was addressed to me.

"What is it?" Zephyr asked, standing by my side.

"This letter just came unannounced," I answered. "Let's see what it says." I opened the envelope, and began to read it.

"_To Cheyenne the Detective, I thought you should be aware of my existence. My name is Unown. If you think me hostile, please know that I am a friend. I have been held captive by Ricardo Bloomerton for the last eight years, living in the underground caverns of his estate. He thinks me a horrible monster because of... Well, you don't need to know of my disfiguration. But I feel I should warn you. This rival of Ricardo is the lowest of the low, the baddest of the bad, and is the incarnate of evil. You know not what you've wrought upon yourself. If I feel your life is endangered, I will send for protection and they'll bring you to my home._

_Sincerely, Unown._

_P.S.: Whatever you do, DO NOT antagonize Ricardo or his rival. You will regret it._"

"This has gotta be one of Ricardo's scare tactics," Zephyr said. "Why else would he do a stunt like this?"

"I don't know," I said, reading the letter over in my head. "This is from somebody called Unown, and he or she is just trying to look out for me."

"How do you know?"

"I don't, but I'm willing to trust it." I put the letter back in the envelope and hid it underneath one of the pillows. "And if it is from Ricardo, I'll get him to admit it."

* * *

After some hours of waiting, Ricardo's business rival finally showed up, which meant it was time for me to put on a poker face. Waiting outside the meeting room with a tray of bourbon and two shot glasses in my hand, I took a deep breath and went inside. His rival was a white tiger with piercing icy blue eyes, wearing an ash gray suit. The rival took a quick glance at me before saying, "Ah, Ricardo. You went and got yourself not only three new bodyguards, but a new maid as well? I'm a bit jealous." There was a hint of a purr in his voice.

"Well Julius," Ricardo replied, "I have to maintain my regal appearance, after all."

_Regal appearance, my ass._ I grumbled a little to show how annoyed I was with the gorilla.

Ricardo snapped his fingers. "Maid. Drinks."

"Coming right up," I said, setting the tray down on a little table. I opened the bottle and poured the two shots, then Ricardo and Julius just grabbed their glasses and gulped them right down.

"You know, maid, you're supposed to be seen and not heard."

"I'll show you seen and not heard like no other," I grumpily muttered to myself.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," I said with a fake smile.

The tiger chuckled a little bit. "She seems to have a twisted sense of humor," he said. "My kind of girl."

_Just enjoy your drinks, you perverts, and everything will go smoothly._


	18. Secret of Unown

"You know, Ricardo," Julius spoke, "I came here under the assumption that you feel threatened by my successful business and are trying to know my secrets."

"What, can't I just have a friendly drink with a successful rival without my motives being questioned?" Ricardo asked, a fake smile on his face.

"Another shot of bourbon, dear maid." Julius held his empty shot glass in the air.

"Of course," I said, picking up the bottle. Just as I was about to pour, one of my heels broke, and I ended up spilling the alcohol on the tiger's suit as I fell to the ground face first. "Ow..."

"You clumsy fool!" the gorilla yelled as I sat back up. "Look what you did!"

"Now now, no need to be so rash, Ricardo," Julius said calmly. "It was just a little accident." He helped me back up, letting me sit in his place. "There we go."

_Wow. This Julius character is unexpectedly... nice. May haps that Unown character was a little off about him._

Ricardo just scoffed. "Just as I thought," he said. "All looks and no brains. I always get the stupid ones, especially those claiming to be smart."

"Now listen here, you sexist pig of an ape!" I shouted. "I didn't come here to be insulted!" I stood up to try to leave, but then I felt a sharp pain in my ankle so I was forced to sit back down. _Aw, dammit! I must've sprained my ankle. Stupid French heels! _I rubbed my ankle.

"How dare you insult me! You really are stupid, girl!"

"Ricardo, I know that you're jealous of my success," Julius interjected. "But that's no reason to insult this young lady." He held out his hand, helping me to my feet. "Now if you don't mind, I'm taking her back to her room to aid her injury." He led me out of the meeting room, taking me back to my room as I hobbled next to him. He sat me down on the bed. "I hope you aren't too hurt."

"It's not too bad," I said. "I sprained my ankle before, so I know how the pain is."

"Why did you decide to work for that big ape anyway?"

I bit my lip. "I... can't tell you why."

The tiger raised a curious eyebrow. "Why not?"

I took a deep breath and said really quickly, "Because he hired me to get you to spill the secrets of your success through seduction and booze." I flinched, waiting for him to explode. But instead, he just deeply laughed.

"Oh, that Ricardo and his tricks. I knew there was a reason for him to invite me over here. And you must be some kind of spy, right?"

"Uh, detective, actually."

"Ah, I see. Would you mind if I massaged your ankle, just to relieve some of the pain?"

"Oh, uh, not at all." He sat down next to me on the bed, and I extended my leg a little so that he could massage my ankle. The way his fingers moved around my ankle... it was like Heaven in a hand basket. I honestly thought I was going to fall into a blissful sleep. Suddenly, a sharper chill ran down my spine than it did earlier. I got the feeling that something was wrong. I looked back at Julius, and he had this lustful look in his eyes. His hand started running up my leg. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Just relax, baby," he said with a malicious purr.

_Oh, shit...!_ I quickly pulled my legs to me, cradling them. "Uh, just so you know, I'm not afraid to scream out 'rape'."

"We both know you don't have the guts to do so." He quickly pounced on me, holding my arms back. "Now just relax and it'll be all over soon."

"Let me go!" I tried to break free, but he held on tightly. _Looks like I may have to scream. I promised Espy._ I took in a deep breath and let out the biggest scream I could possible. Suddenly, Julius was pushed back by some powerful force, and then the room around me started to disappear and transform into some kind of cave. I stood up and looked around. Strange looking letters were engraved on the walls. _This is getting weirder and weirder._

"Good. It seems Julius didn't do too much damage to you."

I looked around. "Who said that? Where are you?"

A mysterious cloaked figure appeared in front of me, hood over his face. He appeared to be human.

"Are... Are you Unown?"

"I am," he replied. "It was a good thing you screamed when you did. He could have done some serious damage to you physically and emotionally."

"No shit. But... why did you help me?"

"I've gotten word that another Half-Blood was around, so I had to get as much information about you as I could. Don't worry, I'm not a stalker."

"Uh-huh." I glanced back at the markings.

"Oh, that. It's a historic variation to the present day alphabet. It's actually been around longer than I have." A smile came on his face. "If you'd like, I can teach you to write it."

"That's very nice, Unown, but I have to get back. My friends must be worried about me."

His smile faded then he bowed his head in sadness. "Oh, I see. You must think I'm hideous."

"How could I think that if I can't see your face?"

He lifted his head a little, hands on his hood. "If I show you, you promise you won't laugh or run away?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." I crossed my heart and raised my hand in promise.

"Alright then..." He removed his hood and lifted his head all the way, showing that he had literally one eye.

"Whoa," I said, my own eyes wide. "Never thought I'd come across a Cyclops."

"You're not afraid of me?"

"I'm more surprised if anything." I paused, a sad look on my face. "Have you really been living here by yourself?"

"Well, I'm not exactly alone."

"Ricardo doesn't count."

"Not that big jerk." He turned around, then called, "It's okay, guys. She's alright." Unown's voice echoed. First there was silence. Then, like little black snowflakes, the letters started coming to life, happily chirping like Flickies in the summer sun. They were turning 3-D right before my eyes. Each letter had one eye just like Unown.

"Are these your friends?" I asked.

"Yeah. They kept me company for the last, oh, 500 years or so."

"500 years?! Are you an Immortal?"

"No, not really. It's because of these guys that I've been alive for so long. They have a strange, mystical power that's been keeping me young forever. They don't really trust anyone outside this place, though. And if I were to leave without them, I'd turn to dust and they'd be heartbroken."

The letters all sadly chirped in unison.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "But why can't you use that power to drive Ricardo away?"

He bowed his head sadly. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because... I'm afraid of what might happen. If he found out that the source of my abilities was not caused by me but by my friends instead, he's gonna make them miserable. Besides, we were here first, not that stupid monkey. He just built that stupid house of his on top of the cave's entrance, blocking it off so that I can't get out, but he's able to come and go as he pleases! It's not fair!"

An idea popped into my head, a smile on my face. "That's it, that's it!"

"What's it?"

"I have the perfect idea on how to drive that stupid ape away from here."

His eye widened with hope. "Really?! How?!"

"It's gonna require you and a few of your friends to leave the cave. I might be compromising my own mission, but you're in greater need than he is." I looked down at my maid outfit. "Of course, I'm gonna have to change clothes first."

"Oh yeah, I thought you might say that. Guys, bring her clothes, please." About six letters came in circling each other, my clothes and shoes floating in mid air.

* * *

After changing clothes and explaining my plan, Unown, a few of the letters, and I teleported out of the cave back into my room. Julius was no longer in the room, so I was thankful about that. But then we heard shouting from out in the hallway. I took the lead and quietly opened the door. Looking out, I saw the Chaotix confronting Ricardo and Julius.

"I'll ask this one last time," Vector shouted. "Where. The hell. Is the Kid?!"

"And I told you that I. Don't. Know!" Julius shouted back.

"Well, she couldn't have just vanished into thin air!"

"That's _exactly_ what she did!"

"Well, Vector," Ricardo chimed in coldly, "it seems that your female has failed to complete her mission. I guess there won't be any reward to give out."

"I may be the cold-blooded guy," Vector said, "but _you're _ the one with the cold heart!"

"Regardless, you once again failed to keep a girl within your eyesight and now she's possibly dead."

I turned back to Unown. "Wait here," I whispered. "Remember: wait for the signal." I turned back to the hallway, marching out of the room.

"There's no way Chy would be dead!" Charmy squeaked.

"What makes you say that, little boy?" Ricardo asked.

"Because I'm a badass detective, and there's no way a badass can just die," I said as I joined the group.

"KID!" Vector happily yelled.

"Oh, you're alive," Ricardo said coldly. "Great."

"Yes, alive and kicking," I said, then glared at Julius. "I thought I'd let you know, Ricardo, that your rival tried to rape me."

Julius chuckled nervously. "Oh, maids and their stories," he said.

"I'm not making this up, and you know it, you sleazy bastard."

The tiger angrily grabbed me by the arm. "Listen here, you little-"

Espio made a sweeping kick, sending Julius to the floor. Then the ninja stood on the tiger's torso and pointed a kunai at him. "Keep your hands off her," he warned.

"Where did you disappear to, girl?" Ricardo asked impatiently. "That is, if you did disappear."

"I guess you could say..." I looked back at the room's door. "It was Unown."

And right on cue, Unown appeared behind the stupid ape, hood over his face.

"Hello, Ricardo," he said.

The gorilla turned around in surprise. "YOU! What are you doing out of your cave?" he exclaimed.

"I've come to set a few things right. If it weren't for Cheyenne here, I never would have gotten the courage to face you."

"Uh, Kid, what the fuck's going on?" Vector whispered.

"Don't worry about it," I whispered back. "Just sit back and watch the show."

"I don't care what you're here for!" Ricardo yelled at Unown. "Get back to your cave and don't come back out again!"

The Cyclops just laughed it off. "You stupid ape. You wanna know the source of my power? Friends, to me!"

The few letters that came with him appeared, ready to attack.

"What are those things?!" everyone but Unown and I exclaimed.

"These little guys are the ones with the real power," the young Cyclops explained. "You built your giant house over our home eight years ago, and now we want you gone." He leaned closer to Ricardo. "Oh, and there's more of these guys where that came from."

"And to think you're the one scared of him for the last eight years," I added, getting in the gorilla's face, "not the other way around. Oh, and I think you and your rival should leave while you're both still alive."

"I'm not running away from my own estate!" the gorilla protested.

"I'll bring more of my friends out here to meet you," Unown offered.

"Alright, alright! I'll leave!"

"But before you go," I added, "there's still payments for my... services." I laughed a little.

"I don't owe you a damn cent!"

"I believe you will when I say that your so-called rival is nothing but a dirty fraud."

"How dare you!" Julius growled.

"How dare _you _for lying to everyone here," Unown said calmly. "Your fraudulence is due to the fact that you have three mortgage payments on your house, you spend your pocket money on prostitutes - you're probably dead broke right about now, and you have to pay child support to your rich ex wife. I say rich because she married a wealthy bachelor, who is way more honest than you could ever be."

Julius's eyes widened with fear. "H-H-How did you know that?!" he stuttered in fear.

"It's really easy to know who you're dealing with when you do a little research on the subject."

The tiger pushed Espio off him and he stood, slowly backing away. As he backed up, he looked at the gorilla. "You never told me you built your estate over a stalker's cave," he said, fear filling his body.

Ricardo tried to smile as confidently as he could. "What," he started. "Can't I just-"

"Stop with your bullshit, you dirty ape! I am out of here!" Julius quickly made his way to the front door.

Ricardo looked back at me, and let out a defeated sigh. "You really are a crafty one," he said. "Fine. You've done your job as promised." He reached in his pocket and took out three $100 dollar bills, putting them in my hand. "Here is your payment."

The letters chirped angrily in unison.

Ricardo flinched. "What did they say?" he asked.

"They said, 'Now leave and don't come back,'" Unown said.

And as such, he quickly left before something were to happen to him.

"Alright, Kid!" Vector congratulated. "Ya did great!"

"Please, I barely did anything," I said.

"Oh no," Unown objected. "If it weren't for you, I never would have gotten the courage to go up against that big ape. You are such an encouraging person."

The letters chirped happily.

"They said that they're happy that our home is ours once again. We thank you so much." The Cyclops hugged me tightly in gratitude. "How can we repay you?"

"Oh, you don't need..." I paused. "Well, I'm pretty sure Ricardo took off in his limo, so we don't know how to get back to-"

"The Chaotix Detective Agency. Of course. I'll have my friends teleport you there." He pulled out of his hug and started waving goodbye. "Until we meet again."

A smile came on my face. "Until we meet again."

Ricardo's estate faded as the comforts of the detective agency faded in.

"Great job, Kid," Vector said, tousling my hair. "You did me proud."

"You really shouldn't thank me," I said. "I barely did anything."

"Oh, don't be so modest. It would've taken me at least two more days to uncover what that rival of Ricardo's was hiding, and even longer to find that secret cave he's hidden." He gently nudged my chin with his fist. "You're really shining, now."

"Gee, uh, thanks Vector." _This is real congratulatory feeling from the croc. I must have appealed to his good side somehow._ I shrugged. _Well, whatever it is, I like it._


	19. Strange Behavior

The next evening, I sat outside atop of the roof of the detective agency. I gazed out at the stars, looking at their shining brilliance. The book Landorus gave me - it was titled _Legends of Mobius's Gods and Goddesses_ \- sat in my lap. It had been about eight months since I first found myself on Mobius. The stars seemed to shine brighter than when I first looked at them. I mean, they were the same stars but something about them just seemed... brighter.

"You can't sleep either, huh?" I turned and saw Zephyr sitting next to me. "I know the feeling. The first week of spring is finally here; not a single Immortal can ever relax around this time."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because when the first week of spring comes around, everyone gets energetic and just has to do everything they wanna do. When the week's over, they calm down and everything goes back to normal."

"That sounds interesting, but that's not why I can't sleep."

"Oh." He paused. "Then what _are_ you doing up?"

I turned back to the sky. "The stars."

He looked up at the sky a minute, then looked back at me. "What about them?

"They seem to be brighter than when I first came here, as if they were..." I shrugged. "I don't know, polished or something."

"Polished?"

I looked back at the timberwolf. "Aren't you looking at them?"

He glanced back at the sky. "They look normal to me."

"Well, then you just don't see their shining brilliance like I do." I stuck my tongue out at him. All he did was laugh a little.

"Keep your tongue out like that, then Hoopa's gonna make it change colors or something."

"Ha! As if." I paused, thinking a minute. "Hey Zephyr, what's it like?"

"What do you mean?"

"What's it like... staying young forever? You know, not aging?"

He turned thoughtful and laid down on the roof. "You got me. I don't have a clue really. That's a question for the one of the elder Immortals to answer."

I laid down next to him and took a deep breath. "How can I get in contact with one of them?"

"Well, to get Zygarde to appear, you'll need to do a bad thing or two. In other words, destroy a lot of-"

"Next."

"For Dialga or Palkia, you'll need to drastically disturb the space-time continuum."

I laughed. "Please, Zephyr, I'm not a scientific engineer."

"Well, then your best bet is for Giratina. All you have to do is look in a reflection, say his name three times, and a portal to the Distortion World will open up."

"What about Zekrom? I mean, he stopped aging at a young age. How about it?"

He sat back up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, Cheyenne..."

"He ain't an elder, so why not? I mean, it seems the most logical thing to do."

"He's a man who's stubborn as a bull. Trust me when I say that once he's set on something, he's not changing his mind for anything."

I sat up, meeting his gaze. "Well, guess what. I'm a bull, too. That means we're gonna ask Zekrom and that is that." I crossed my arms with finality.

A smile came on his face as he slowly shook his head. "Man, like uncle, like niece." He met back with my eyes. "But, regardless what you say, you're asking Giratina."

"Asking Giratina what?" We turned around and saw Zekrom standing behind us. "Don't stop talking on my account."

"Zekrom, out of curiosity," I started, "what's it like not aging?"

The dragon god was thoughtful. "Well," he started. "First I found it weird that everyone around me was aging when I wasn't. Then I was sad because it meant I was outliving my friends and loved ones. But after a few hundred years or so, I knew that mortal life was sacred and that every one should be treasured."

I gave Zephyr a satisfied smirk. "Still think we should ask Giratina?" I asked smugly.

"Depends, are you satisfied with your answer?" Zephyr asked smugly back.

"Yes I am, actually. It's a bit of a sad answer, but it's an answer."

The wolf's smug expression faded into a plain smirk. Then his ears perked up, his head turning to the forest.

"What is it?" I asked. He kept looking out as if he didn't hear me. "Zephyr?"

He turned to me, a forced smile on his face. "Hey, I'll see you later, okay?" he said and then teleported away.

_What was with that smile? It seemed like he tried to end things on a good note. Just what is he doing?_

"Beats me what he's doing," Zekrom spoke. "I may be his dad, but I don't keep an eye on him 24/7."

That only concerned me more.

* * *

Around noon the next day, I decided to take a walk around the forest, taking in the new spring air. Flowers were blooming, the trees were getting new, green leaves on their branches, and the Flickies were returning from their hibernation in the south. I suddenly heard some kind of low growling coming from the other side of one of the trees. I looked behind the tree and it turned out to be Zephyr, snoring away.

_Now what's he doing taking a cat nap out here?_ I knelt down and gently shook him. "Zephyr," I spoke softly. "Zephyr."

His eyes fluttered open, and let out a big yawn and stretched. He sleepily looked up at me. "Oh, good morning, Cheyenne," he said.

"Zephyr, it's 1:30 PM," I said. "Have you been out here all night?"

He looked around, his eyes then widening. "Have I been out here all night?"

"I just asked you that..."

"You did?" I nodded. "Oh. Well." He stood. "I better get going."

"Where are you going now?"

"I just need to go." He teleported away.

I stood back up. "Zephyr... What's going on with you?"

* * *

I returned to the agency a little later and told them about Zephyr's new behavior.

"I don't get it," I told the Chaotix. "His behavior has been really strange all of a sudden."

"Maybe he's with another girl," Vector deduced. "That bastard! I'll make him pay!"

I face-palmed. "Okay, Big Mouth, I should've burst your bubble long ago. Zephyr and I aren't dating. You know why? Because we're cousins."

"WHAAAAAAT?!" His eyes bugged out of his head.

"How did you figure that?" Espio calmly asked.

"To make a long story short," I explained, "we connected our genealogical trees thanks to two brothers."

"Ah, I see."

"Why didn't you say anything before?!" Vector yelled.

"I wanted to talk, but Zephyr said to let you believe what you wanted," I answered. I let out a sad sigh. "Speaking of which, I just don't get why his behavior changed so suddenly. Is it because of me?"

"You always hang around him," Charmy said. "So..."

"Charmy!" Vector and Espio said simultaneously.

"What?" the bee innocently asked.

"Maybe he just needs a little space from me for a while," I theorized. "Maybe then he'll be back to his old self."

"Space shmace," the croc countered. "You need to do a bit of detective work to see what's eatin' him. Honestly, have you learned nothing from me?"

"Sorry, Vector, but my decision is final. I'll give him a couple days."

There was a _knock knock knocking_ at the door. I walked to the door and opened it, the doorway revealing Ms. Vanilla and Cream.

"Oh, Ms. Vanilla," I said with a smile. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, then looked down at her daughter. "Cream, would you and Charmy go out and play? The grownups have to speak."

"Okay, Momma," Cream replied. "Come on, Charmy!"

"Alright!" Charmy squeaked, and he and the little rabbit went outside. Ms. Vanilla closed the door behind her.

"Is there a problem?" Vector asked.

A frown came upon the rabbit's face. "Unfortunately," she said. "Zephyr's been acting all out of sorts today. I don't why that is."

"Really?" I asked.

"Didn't you say he started acting weird last night?" Espio asked me.

"Yeah, that's right."

"Last night, you say?" Ms. Vanilla asked.

"Zephyr and I were just looking at the stars and talking. Then he just up and left without saying where he was going."

"Oh, dear. You don't think he's getting into trouble, do you?"

_I hope not... _"I think he just needs a couple days to try and unwind himself. I believe it might be some stress that's bugging him."

"Is that all?"

"That's my bet, anyway." I showed a reassuring smile. "There's nothing to worry about, Ms. Vanilla, I assure."

"Well... as long as you're sure." She paused, thought a moment, then showed a smile. "Alright. I trust you, Cheyenne. You know, you've become very friendly and outgoing as of late."

"You can thank the Chaotix Detective Agency for that." _As well as a bit of Zekrom's charisma._

* * *

A couple days had passed, and I wanted to see if Zephyr was feeling any better. Unfortunately, a client had called, so that had to wait. The case was simple: find a lost kitten. Vector insisted on searching in the park when Espio and I instantly knew to look at the animal shelter. After that was done, I went to look for Zephyr, and once again, I found him asleep, cuddling a bush. Once more, I gently shook him awake.

"Huh? What?" he sleepily spoke, then yawned and stretched.

"Zephyr, why are you trying to make out with a plant?" I asked.

"With what?" He glanced down at his bed and quickly straightened up, wiping dirt off his sleeves as he stood. "Oh, yeah, the bush. Um, I was just, uh, trying to get in tune with nature...?" He showed a nervous, unconvincing smile.

I slowly shook my head. "Now Zephyr, why are you falling asleep in the forest?"

"Well, the thing about that is..." His eyes were darting back and forth so fast, it looked like the world's fastest game to Ping-Pong.

I crossed my arms, and started tapping my foot with impatience. "I'm waiting."

After what seemed like forever, he finally shook his head and said, "I can't..."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can't what?"

"I can't tell you why..."

"Why not?"

He got angry. "I just can't, okay?"

Now I got angry. "That's not a good answer, now spill."

"Why should I?!" he yelled, getting in my face. "I have to have my secrets, too!"

"And it's my job to find out what you're hiding!" I yelled back. "Now tell me or-"

"Or what?! We both know you won't use your powers against a friend!"

"It's not my powers you should be worried about, pal!"

We stared each other down as the world around us continued to slowly turn. I waited for him to stand down, as he did for me. In the end, he turned away and said in a shallow voice, "Stay out of my business." He then teleported away.

_Zephyr... _"You secretive, pig-headed, skinny little S.O.B.!" _We both know I'm worried about you._ "You think you can just take off on me like that? We'll see how you like it when I give you the cold shoulder of ignorance!" _You have to be hiding some sort of secret if you're acting that aggressive. _I became quiet. _Man, it's hard being angry and concerned at the same time. How do multi-taskers do it?_

* * *

Out on the roof again, I sat there gazing at the setting sun, worrying more about Zephyr by the minute. I let out a sigh, hoping, even praying that he's safe and well.

"What's wrong, Princess?"

"You having a royal mood swing?" Tornadus and Thundurus appeared, Thundurus on my left, Tornadus on my right.

_Oh, great, it's Dumb and Dumber. _"What do you two want?" I asked with a groan.

"We thought we'd check up on Her Royal Highness," Tornadus said.

"You sure look down in the royal dumps," Thundurus added.

"That's because I'm thinking about something, alright?" I yelled. "Now get lost, the both of you."

"Geez, what bug crawled up your royal butt?"

I took a deep breath. "You guys know Zephyr, right?"

"Yeah," the two said in unison.

"Well, I think he's hiding something from me."

"How can you tell?" Tornadus asked.

"He was being aggressive, and he's never aggressive to me."

Tornadus was thoughtful. "What do you think?" he asked his brother.

"Beats me," Thundurus replied with a shrug. "Why don't you go and do some this detective work?"

"How about you two go and spy on him?" I suggested. _This oughta get 'em out of my hair._

The two looked at each other and smiled. "Sounds like a plan!" they said in unison, and they took off into the air laughing and hollering, turning into the wind itself. I let out a sigh of relief, once again alone with my thoughts.

_Zephyr, whatever you've gotten yourself into, I promise I'll get you out of it._


	20. The Final Straw?

With my flight training now complete, I nervously await for the final test, the last thing I'd have to do to complete my training. I read the Mobius Immortals book to try to get my mind off it. To think that most of them were related to each other, whether by blood or bond, and there were those that had no bonds with any others whatsoever.

"_Although most are born, there are two that which have been created by mortal hand,_" I read. "_The God of War Mewtwo was brought to life from the DNA of Mew's fossilized eyebrow. However, Mewtwo went berserk and he blew up the laboratory, killing everyone inside. Why mortal scientists always want to tamper with how the world works, we'll never know. It always goes bad in the end._" I laughed a little. Immortals can have their moments, I thought. I read on. "_Genesect was once a native in the prehistoric era, but then mortals tampered with him by adding a large cannon on his back after bringing him back alive through fossil restoration. Even though he has technology from this day and age, he doesn't give a crap about using it properly and decides to scare people with it by pretending to fire at a group of people._"

_I somewhat guessed that pigheadedness is an unavoidable trait._

"Hey, Chy," Charmy squeaked as he hovered above my book. "You wanna do something fun?"

I looked up at him. "What were you thinking that would be fun?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you would think of something."

I smiled. Even a little attention from that little bee would be a bit amusing. I closed the book, setting it on the coffee table. "Well, we could go outside and play a game."

"Oh, crap," I heard Vector mutter.

"What kind of game?" the little bee excitedly asked.

"How about... Hide and Seek?" I replied.

"Yeah!"

"Oh, Princess!" two familiar voices sang.

_Oh, no, they're back...!_

In that instant, Tornadus and Thundurus appeared once more, sitting on the opposite couch from I.

"Did you miss us?" they spoke in unison.

"Does it look like I missed you?" I growled. "What're you guys doing here?"

"We came to give you a report," Thundurus explained.

"A report on what?" Espio asked, being suspicious as ever.

I was about to answer but Tornadus quickly said, "Sorry, but that's private information shared between me, my brother, and Princess." The two grabbed me by the arms and started dragging me to the door.

"What about our game?" Charmy asked.

"Don't worry," I said. "I'll be right back. Promise." Being led outside, the duo dragged me to part of the forest, thinking it was safe. I pulled from their grip. "Don't just come in unannounced like that. People consider that surprising, rude, and think an intruder's gonna kill them."

"Wolf Boy did that all the time," Tornadus countered.

"Speaking of which, we know what he's been up to," Thundurus said.

Now my interest was piqued. "What'd you find out?" I asked.

"We found that he's been talking with someone in the dead of night."

"Yeah," Tornadus agreed with a nod.

"Who has he been talking to?" I inquired.

The brothers looked at each other. They looked back at me and both shrugged. "No clue," they said in unison.

I mentally face-palmed. _Figures._ "Well, where there any distinguishing features about this person?"

Thundurus was thoughtful. "He was about this tall," he said, getting on his brother's shoulders, simulating the height. "And he had these eyes that could right through your soul." He added with a smartass chuckle, "And your clothes."

Ignoring that last statement, I asked, "Anything else?"

Tornadus dumped his brother off him. "Not that we could see," he said. "It was too dark. But he had this really deep voice."

"What were they talking about?"

Once again, the brothers shrugged and said, "No clue."

"We couldn't get close enough without getting found out," Tornadus said.

"But it looked like Wolf Boy was thinking about making a deal," Thundurus added.

"A deal?" I questioned. "What sort of deal?"

"Not sure, but it was _very _suspicious."

"Like he was making a deal with a devil," Tornadus added.

_A deal with a devil... Zephyr _is_ getting into trouble. And if I were to try to follow him, who knows how that stranger would react? Sigh, if only there were a way I could get him out of this deal._

"Princess looks deep in thought," Tornadus spoke.

"Wonder what she's thinking," Thundurus spoke.

I looked back at the duo. "Thank you, guys," I said. "It's not much, but it helps."

"No problem, Princess," they said in unison, smiles across their faces.

_Ya know, they may be really dumb, but at least they're helpful... when they want to be. And thank God they don't read minds._

* * *

A little later, Charmy and I commenced with our game of Hide and Seek. It didn't take long for me to find him. I must've hid in a really good place because it took him about an hour to find me, and I was just in a tree. But before he found me, I couldn't help but think about the deal Zephyr hasn't decided upon accepting. That's when I started fearing the worst.

I couldn't sleep that evening either. I had Vector's desk lamp on, continuing to read my book. But even as I skimmed a few paragraphs here and there, I couldn't ease my thoughts one little bit. Zephyr's mysterious motives clouded my mind too much.

_There's gotta be a reason why he's doing whatever the hell he's been doing. I'll try and find him tomorrow and see what's up. But how can I do that if he doesn't have a hidden scent for me to follow? Well, that means I'll do a bit of detective work to find him._ Then it hit me. _Hold on a second. Zephyr told me that the first week of spring is the craziest time for Immortals, and no Immortal wants to sit still. That's all this is. I have about five days left until the week's over, then everything will be back to normal. Man, what was I worried about?_

On that note, my horrible thoughts went away and I continued reading without another care.

* * *

The five days seemed to pass very slowly, almost like time didn't want to move forward. But when I woke up on the fifth day, Zephyr had appeared on the opposite couch, out cold. I smiled, knowing that he'll be back to his old self in no time. I got up and went to his side, gently shaking him.

"Zephyr," I whispered. "Zephyr."

He woke with a bit of a start, but he was calm as he sat up and stretched. "Morning already?" he yawned.

"Yes, it's morning." _Whatever you do, don't ask what he was doing. It'll just get him mad again._

"Damn right you're not gonna ask because I'm still not gonna tell."

"Look, I just wanted to apologize about before. I shouldn't have been so nosy. I was just worried about you."

A smile spread on his face. "Aw, that's alright." He tousled my hair. "I forgive you."

So far, so good.

"Besides, I've done what I've needed to do, so you don't need to worry any further."

"Oh, that's good." _Thank God... But why do I get the feeling that he's lying to me?_ "Uh, Zephyr, out of curiosity, was there anything that you did that you weren't suppose to do? I swear to keep it secret."

He let out a small sigh. "Look, all you need to know is that it's done and over with... Well, it will be tonight."

_Tonight?_ "Oh, I see." _This is my big chance to see what dirty little secret he's hiding._ "I'll say no more about it."

"Thank you." He laid back down on the couch. "You don't mind me hanging out here, do ya?"

I smiled. "Not at all." _You sneaky bastard._

* * *

He hung out with the Chaotix and I for the day until around twilight, he announced his exit and left. I pretended to be tired so that I can turn in early. I waited a little while to make sure everyone was asleep - Espio's a light sleeper, so I had to make sure to be extra quiet - and left the building. To make sure no one was gonna find my foot prints, I took to the air for about a few minutes until I landed in part of the forest, and continued on foot. I didn't make a light because I didn't want to be spotted. If Zephyr thought he was getting away with something, he was dead wrong.

I walked around for what seemed like forever until I finally saw Zephyr standing in the center of an open area all alone.

_Alright. Time to catch him in the act._ I walked right up to him, his back facing me. "Alright, Zephyr," I said. "What's going on? You've been acting strange for a whole week, and I wanna know why."

Silence.

"What have you been doing that you didn't want me to know?"

More silence.

"Why won't you answer me?!"

"I've been thinking about this for a while, Cheyenne," he finally spoke, his head slightly turned to me. But the way he spoke - dark and slowly - made me nervous. "Know what I mean?"

I gulped a little. "Uh, no, I don't know what you mean. What _do _you mean?" _Why is he scaring me?_

"I've been thinking and come to realize that you're competition. You're nothing but a waste of space. To think, you thought that we're the same, but clearly we're not. I'm bigger than you, I'm stronger than you, and I'm not afraid to hurt somebody. Trust me. We're far too different."

_Why is he saying these things? This isn't like him at all. _Lightning flashed and thunder exploded, the rain starting to fall. "Zephyr," I pleaded, "if it's anything I did, if I wronged you in any way, I'm sorry. We can still be friends, right?"

He laughed in a mocking tone as he turned to fully face me. Not only had his tone turned dark, but his eyes had as well. They went from a warming crimson, to an evil blood red. "Friends? _Friends_? You don't get it, do you? I played you. I played everyone. You're all nothing but a bunch of saps! I still can't believe how easy it was to fool you all!" He continued to mockingly laugh at my expense. I was just confused as to why he would do this. This new behavior of his had gone far enough for my liking.

"Zephyr, please stop it. You're really freaking me out." I took a couple steps back from him. "This isn't like you at all."

"You think so? Personally, I really like this new behavior. I like it a lot."

_And now is a good time to run away as fast as your legs can carry you._ And with that thought, I took off like a bullet, racing through the trees. I looked behind me to see if he was coming after me. He wasn't there. I looked up at the darkened sky. The rain blocked my way. I looked back ahead. I just happened to find myself in another clearing with a rock wall at the other end. Even if I tried flying away, I knew it wouldn't be a good idea. I was trapped regardless.

"You know what I hate about the game of Cat and Mouse?" I turned and there Zephyr stood. "I hate how it sometimes ends too quickly."


	21. Black vs White, A Gray Limbo

Zephyr walked menacingly toward me, and I fearfully backed away.

"Zephyr, whatever's bothering you," I said as confidently as I could, though my voice was shaking, "I'm sure we can try and work something out, you know, for the better." I showed a nervous smile.

The timberwolf slowly shook his head, uttering a low, dark chuckle as he did so. "Bargaining to save your skin," he said. "Such a cowardly tactic. I thought you were braver than that when you saved me from being crushed by that rockslide."

"Oh, please, Zephyr, I-" I paused, repeating Zephyr's last sentence fragment in my head. _Wait a minute. That's not right. Hopefully, he hit his head on something and that's why he's acting like this...?_

"No matter what you say or do, you're finished." I kept backing up until I bumped into the rock wall, realizing I just trapped myself further. As quick as lighting, Zephyr's clawed hand was grasping onto my neck, the claws piercing into my skin as he forced the breath out of me. "Such a pity. And to think I actually liked you a little." He casually shrugged, an evil smile still on his face. "Oh well."

Without warning, a chain was wrapped around Zephyr's stomach, and he was forcefully and quickly pulled away from me. As he was being pulled, his claws ripped into my skin, leaving behind four deep, bleeding wounds on the left side of my neck as I howled in pain. I fell to my knees because it was so painful. I placed a hand on my neck to try to stop the bleeding as I glanced up to see what was going on. Zekrom had apparently come to my rescue, holding a kusari-gama in his hand, and he and Zephyr were going at it in heated combat, one strike of lightning after another, Zekrom swinging his gama at his own son.

_Zephyr... why would you do this...? Why would you try and kill me?_

"Psst! Kid!" Vector's voice quietly talking, I looked around until I saw the Chaotix spying on me from the bushes. "C'mon! Get the lead out!" Vector whispered.

I couldn't move. I was paralyzed not only with fear, but of betrayal as well. I glanced back at the fighting father and son until I was brought onto my feet and started being pulled away. I didn't look away from the fight as I was being pulled. Zephyr, who had his back to me, quickly turned around and threw a lightning ball at all four of us. I snapped out of my dazed trance.

"LOOK OUT!" I yelled, quickly shoving the guys away from me. The lightning ball hit the ground between us, sending us back in opposite directions. I tumbled a little before hiding.

"Oh, Cheyenne," Zephyr called in sing-song. "Come out and play."

_Oh, that old line. No matter who says it, it's always creepy and evil._

"It's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you."

_Bullshit._

"Come out, come out, wherever you are."

_Even if I stay perfectly still, I'm a goner...! I gotta move._

"Leave Chy alone, you big bully!" Charmy squeaked.

Zephyr started laughing. "And what's a little bug like you gonna do to stop _me_?" he challenged.

_He better not hurt Charmy. If he does, I swear I'll make him pay! _An explosion went off while my back was turned, the sound of the guys yelling in surprise. _That does it!_ I came out of my hiding spot, ready to face my latest enemy, my cousin. "Hey!" I called out. His back to me, he turned around, lightning ball in hand. "It's me you wanna kill, remember? Or are you afraid that you'll have your ass handed to you?"

He threw his head back in laughter. "Are you serious?! Do you honestly think that you can take _me_ on in a fight?"

I clenched my fist, fire circling around it. "How's this for serious?" I threw the fireball at his feet, him quickly jumping aside to avoid getting burned. Even that action made me curious. _Odd... he should've teleported, but he didn't._ I quickly shook my head. _Forget about that. You have to fight it out._

"If you're serious about dying young, then I guess we'll have to do this right." His body was enveloped in a white light, the light then changing to an electric blue. The light grew bigger and bigger until it faded away, revealing that Zephyr had transformed into the giant black dragon Zekrom! I was really fearing for my life at this moment. But I already had put my life on the line, so I had to be ready. "What are you waiting for?" he asked as he peered down at me.

_Okay, he just turned into a dragon right in front of me. Now how do I do that?_

"Niece!" Zekrom called. "Don't do it! Your body wouldn't take the extremity of the transformation!" As he spoke, he was down on his knees, a bit bruised and bleeding, clutching his stomach in pain. "You're not physically ready!"

Reddish-orange flames started to encircle me. "I believe I am," I said, and the flames consumed me as I felt myself transform as the white dragon Reshiram. Even in dragon form, I was still smaller than Zephyr. I started flying in the air, Zephyr was floating. This was it, I thought. The battle of black versus white was about to begin.

"Any last words before your life comes to an abrupt end?" Zephyr asked with malevolence.

I was silent at first. "All I can say," I started, "is that you and I are alike. We have Immortal parents, world destroying powers, and if it were not for me, you wouldn't have regained the confidence you once lost. So please, come to your senses, and let us end this before it's too late."

Zephyr stared a minute before uttering a dark laugh. "You blind, ignorant fool. I told you once, I'll tell you again: WE! ARE NOT! THE SAME!" He let out a deafening roar, but that didn't sway me.

_Very well. If that's the way he wants it..._

With my mind officially made up, the fight had begun. We charged at each other, clawing, biting, scratching and ripping, one chasing the other around in the dark, rainy sky. It wasn't long until the elements came into play, with fire and lightning flying everywhere. I was getting more beat up than he was, but at least I was able to keep fighting on. After what seemed like an endless eternity that we were face to face. Zephyr let loose a lightning beam from his mouth as I breathed out fire. The two elemental beams met at the center, neither side not giving out an inch.

As the intensity of the elements grew stronger, I started feeling a sharp pain in my stomach. I cringed a little, but I kept my head up as I aimed for my intended target. However, the lightning beam started pushing the flames back. But instead of actually forcing the flames back, it cut through them like a knife through butter. I barely avoided the lightning as it scathed my wing a bit. The sharp pain in my stomach started getting more intense as well.

"What's wrong?" Zephyr mocked. "Getting air sick?"

I just uttered a small, low growl before answering. "I'm just getting warmed up for the grand finale," I said with a confident smirk.

"Niece!" Zekrom called from below. "Change back! Your body is nowhere near used to sudden transformations! Change back now before it's too late!"

_How can I change back now? I barely know how to transform at all!_ "I'm sorry, Uncle Zekkie," I called back. "But I can do this! Even if it were to cost me my life, I know I can win this fight! I'll be a better dragon for it, too!"

"Enough talk," Zephyr spoke. "Let's end this."

"I couldn't agree more."

The fighting continued, both Zephyr and I taking one blow after another. The sharp pain in my stomach made me stop from attacking, making me cringe. That gave Zephyr the chance to attack me, pinning me to the rock wall. I struggled very hard to break free as the pain in my stomach continued to grow. I glanced up at Zephyr, who had the look that said, 'It's over, I've won.' He opened his mouth, another lightning beam starting to form. I closed my eyes, just waiting for the inevitable. But then, I had a sudden idea.

"Zephyr, wait," I said. "Before you kill me, there's something I want you to know." He didn't respond, but he rolled his eyes. "When I first came to Mobius, I felt like I was all alone. But then you came around and helped me cope with my situation. We had good times, and we were able to get through the bad times. I just hope you can find it in your heart and be merciful at the least." A tear rolled down my cheek. "Please, Zephyr. Please let's end this silly little charade once and for all. What do ya say? Forgive and forget?"

What I thought was hesitation was actually patient boredom. He was waiting for me to finish so that he could finish me off. At least he was polite, I thought. He fired the lightning beam that was building up, and everything went silent...

* * *

I woke up with a small groan, placing a hand to my head. I had become human again. "Man, what happened?" I asked myself. I sat up, looking all around me. Above me was a gray, cloudy sky. In fact, the entire world around me seemed gray. There wasn't even any wind blowing. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. "Oh, my God. I'm dead. I'm actually dead." I looked at myself, my clothes having remained in perfect condition. "At least I'm not naked." I looked at the ground, the grass as gray as the sky. "But where in the world am I? It's not Heaven, and I don't think it's Hell..." I looked all around, hoping to see another person. I started walking forward, hoping to go somewhere.

As I walked, the same scenery kept passing by like how an old cartoon reuses the same backgrounds over and over. Finally, I saw what looked like a beach with a boat tied to a dock. Sitting on the dock was a human man who appeared to be elderly, wearing the same style as Reshiram was, with a bit of Zekrom's calm body language mixed in. I walked up to the man, hoping to get some answers. "Uh, excuse me?" I said, the man turning to me. "I was kinda wondering... What is this place?"

"Ah, yes, of course," said the man. "Thou art in a plain of Limbo."

"Limbo? So I'm nowhere...?"

"Not exactly. When one dies, they enter a plain of Limbo. Then they find their way to the water, with a boat ready to take them to where they're destined to be. But I must ask, young lass. Why are you here?" As he spoke, he sounded almost like Reshiram, his dark gray eyes filled with kindness and wonder.

"Well..." I sat down next to him. "I thought my cousin and I had some kind of understanding, and then he starts acting weird, and then we went into an all out dragon fight, and-"

"Did you say 'dragon?'"

"Uh, yes...?"

The old man was silent a moment. "I see. You're one of my grandchildren."

"Whoa, _what_?!"

"Which of my sons are you the daughter of?"

"No disrespect, but what the hell are you talking about? Who are you?"

"Are you not half-Immortal?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then thou must know who I am."

"But I don't! I barely knew of my powers, and neither Reshiram or Zekrom wanted to say anything about..." It suddenly hit me. "I don't like imposing, but... Do you know two guys named Reshiram and Zekrom?"

"They are my sons, Kyurem as well, but he was always a troublesome lad." He held out his hand. "I am Gray Mur."

I took Gray's hand and shook it. "I'm Cheyenne Rowe." I released his hand, looking at the kind old man. "So... you're my grandfather, huh?"

"You've still yet to say which son of mine you have your powers from?"

"Oh, right. I have Reshiram's powers."

"Ah, yes, Reshiram. As a child, he was always so headstrong and studious. He never wanted to get married when he became of age. Zekrom, on the other hand, was a total ladies man."

I laughed a little. "I can totally believe that." I paused, a small frown on my face. "So, why haven't you gone in that boat? Are you waiting for someone?"

He let out a melancholic sigh. "I thought... she was waiting for me."

"Huh?"

"My wife. I met her when we were young. She was also pregnant at the time. Her name was Zekyura, and she was so kind and beautiful. With her being pregnant with her sons at the time, she was shunned and hated, being called a harlot, and possibly worse. I didn't care what happened in her past. I loved her no matter what." There was a smile on his face when he spoke, when then turned into a sad frown. "Then the day she went into labor. We were so excited and nervous to be parents. But after my sons were born, she... became very ill, very fast. But she said that she would wait for me here so that we could both crossover to the other side. Then she passed on. My heart sank. When the day had come for me to pass on, I looked for her everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found. I thought she might've gotten lost. So I waited for the last eight to nine centuries just waiting for her so that we could both cross the vast waters."

_Such loyalty, devotion and love in this one man alone... And to think I could have gotten through to Zephyr if he had listened._

"I know I asked this already, but why are you here?"

"My cousin, Zekrom's son, I thought we had come to understand one another, and-"

"Why are you here, waiting?"

"Huh?"

"Can't thou hear it?"

I listened for a moment. "Voices..."

"Voices from people who love and care about you. Do you heed their calls and go back to the world of the living, or do you wish to crossover?"

_The voices... They're ringing clearly. Charmy, Zekrom, Espio, Vector... and Reshiram...! They're all calling for me._ I stood up. "I have my answer. Thank you, Gray."

"For what?"

"For not letting me give up." I proudly walked off the bridge, heading back to where I woke up from. As I walked, a golden light shone down on me...


	22. The End and The Beginning

Forcing my eyes to open is a lot harder than you could think. When they opened all the way, Reshiram was peering down at me, holding me in his arms, a worried look on his face. I let out a little groan and he was quickly happy and relieved. Funny thing that happened next was that he was hugging me tightly.

"Oh, by the powers!" he exclaimed happily. "You're alright!"

"Reshiram...?" I weakly asked. I looked around, seeing the Chaotix and Zekrom all having happy, relieved looks on their faces. "You're all looking at me as if I died or something..."

"But you did," Zekrom confirmed.

"What...?!" I felt my body ache all over in pain when I tried to sit up. "Ow..."

"We thought you were gone for good, Kid," Vector spoke. "Espio was actually gonna try committing some kinda seputty or somethin'."

"It's _seppuku_, and no, I was not," Espio retorted.

"I thought you ninja types always off yourselves if you can't fulfill some kind of duty."

The ninja chameleon was about to say something, but instead sighed and kept quiet.

I looked around, noticing that something - no, some_one_ was missing. "Where's Zephyr?" I asked. "Where'd he go?"

Zekrom's face turned stern. I never thought someone of a carefree nature would get so serious and scary looking. "He's left," he said. "Not only did he betray his family, he betrayed himself. I disowned him."

Reshiram helped me to stand as I leaned on him for support. "The traitor got what he deserved," he said. "He won't be a bother anymore."

I happened to glance up at the sky and saw a small figure moving through the sky. I didn't need glasses or some kind of super sight to see who or what it was. I knew that it wouldn't be last time that our paths would cross.

* * *

The spring slowly went by the next four or five weeks, making it closer to being officially one year since I came to Mobius. My injuries had almost completely healed during this time. And I do mean almost. The scratch that's been on my neck would throb if whether I touched it or not. It also turned black when it started healing. Hanging around the office as I healed was really boring. Then again, the guys didn't want a repeat of what happened just in case Zephyr were to show his face again, so they had me stay behind on a few cases. I couldn't blame them for being so jumpy. I found that I _did_ die, I finally remembered. I felt like Gray had given me another chance in living my life. I think what Silver said before, just before my training started - that being, in order to protect others, you have to protect yourself. I felt that he was wrong. This is what I believe to this day: in order to protect yourself, you have to protect others. As long as you keep everyone around you safe, then there's no reason for you to hide.

At least, that's what I always believed in. The other Immortals think I'm crazy. I take that as a compliment.

Anyway, I was just relaxing on the couch, reading both the Mobius Immortals and Demonology book simultaneously. I suddenly heard a small bell, making my head perk up. "Did you guys hear that bell?" I asked.

"Bell?" Charmy squeaked.

"Are you hearing things again?" Vector questioned. "This isn't gonna be like last time when you thought you heard a cat meowing outside, is it?"

"Hey, I was on some strong pain medication that made me loopy," I countered. "You can't blame _me_ for that." The bell sounded again. "Aha! There it is again! I'm not crazy!"

"You sure you're still not taking those meds?"

"_On the contrary, her hearing is perfect._"

The guys got into their 'Protect the Kid' defenses - at least that's what the croc called it. The three detectives stood ready, encircling me in fighting stances. They've been doing that ever since Tornadus and Thundurus popped in unexpectedly one day and got pummeled. I was laughing my ass off it was so funny! But it wasn't Dumb and Dumber, Zekrom, or even Reshiram who visited from time to time. It was actually...

"Arceus!" I exclaimed a bit, standing up and bowing in respect. What can I say? The dude's like royalty.

Arceus showed a calm smile. "It has been a while since we last met face to face," he said. "I trust you're recovering well?"

"Oh, yes. I'm almost healed, as a matter of fact." I looked at the Chaotix, who were still in Defense Mode, and gave out a sigh. "At ease." They relaxed enough to let me get a little closer to the Creator. "Sorry about them; they're kinda jumpy."

"It is alright. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here." I gave a small nod. "Well, I thought I would let you know that you are exempt from the final test."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why is that? Is it because of what happened with Zephyr, or-"

"On the contrary, because of Zephyr's sudden behavior, I decided for that to be the final test. Although, I didn't expect him to try to murder one of his own kin."

"So... how did I do?"

"You have passed. Congratulations."

My jaw just dropped. _I... I passed... OH, MY GOD! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!_

"As of today, you are now officially Half-Immortal. You will no longer age another second, forever remaining young, until the day will come when you shall be inducted as a new member of the clan. It will be your choice to be so or not."

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. I just let him keep talking.

"However, while you were gone..." His calm smile slipped to that of a neutral poker face. "Earth has become overrun with darkness. Demons have started lurking from their shadows, preying upon mortal humans and turning innocent creatures into monsters. And since you are from Earth, you will return there and be rid of them."

That shook me from my surprised state. "You mean... I can go home?" I looked at the Chaotix, a sad feeling filling the room. "Arceus, these three took me in when I had nowhere to go. They even let me work here with them. You're telling me to leave not only my job, but my friends, too?"

"That is the Immortal's way. They can't be in one place forever. You have done your time here. It is time to move on. I shall give you 24 hours." He teleported out of the room.

I slowly sat back down on the couch, taking in what Arceus had asked of me.

"You're not really gonna leave," Charmy spoke. "Are ya, Chy?"

"I don't know, Charmy," I answered. "I'm in a mix of emotions right now."

"Well, ya can't just up and leave!" Vector exclaimed. "That'd be the worst way to thank us!"

"Vector, you're being a bit irrational," Espio calmly retorted. "This surprised everyone, especially Cheyenne. And I don't think she'd disobey Arceus's judgment."

"I don't want Chy to leave!" Charmy objected, quickly wrapping his little arms around my neck. "If she leaves, then I'm gonna go with her!"

"Charmy," I spoke. "You can't come with me." I gently pulled the little bee off me. "You're to stay here."

"But Chy..." His eyes grew big and sad, tears starting to form. "You're my friend. You can't leave. I won't let you!"

Tears started fall down my face, but I tried being strong. "Charmy... I know this is something you can't fully understand. There are still some things that need to be explained to _me_. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I first came here. The detective job, the training - both of Immortal and ninja variety... they were all new to me. And now that my Immortal training's done, and after what Arceus told me... I have to move on." I lifted his head a little to make sure he was listening. "Do you know what I'm saying, Charmy?"

The little bee was quiet a minute before giving a little nod. "I guess..." He wrapped his arms around me once more. "I'm gonna miss you..."

I felt like I was going to break down right then and there. I almost did, but I kept being tough. "I'll miss you too..."

* * *

I wanted to spend the rest of the day by myself, so I went out for a little walk to try to clear my head a little. Walking around the forest was a bit refreshing, actually. I kept walking until Zekrom attacked me with a hug from behind and then started spinning around really fast.

"Kaloo Kalay, Oh Fraptus Day!" he exclaimed happily. "We heard the news!"

"Uncle Zekkie!" I yelled. "You're gonna make me hurl!"

He ground to a halt and released me, making me almost fall to the ground in the process. "My brother and I, we heard that Arceus had passed you! Congratulations!"

Reshiram took a few calm steps, helping me steady myself. "Yes," he calmly said, a smile on his face. "Tis a glorious day for all to celebrate."

"Thank you both," I said. "I couldn't believe the news either."

"So what will thou do now?"

"Yeah, what will my precious niece do now?" Zekrom asked.

I took a deep breath. "Well," I started, "Arceus told me about what's been going on back on Earth. It seems that Demons are starting to prey on the humans and turning animals into horrible monsters."

"Such a tragedy," Reshiram sighed. "But how does that affect you?"

"That's the thing. He said that I have to go home and try to be rid of those creatures of darkness. But that means I can't stay here."

"Ah, yes. The Immortal's Path."

"The what?"

"When an Immortal feels they have done their job someplace," Zekrom explained, "it means that they must move on to their next stepping stone. It could be a town, a city, a country, a whole other world even. You never know where you're needed."

"You cannot stray from the path, however," Reshiram added. "If you try and stray, the consequences are very serious. Hoopa strayed just a little bit one day, and the next thing that came to him... Well, let's just say he never did anything too bad again, so says Arceus."

My eyes went a little wide, a bit of fear coursing through me. "Okay," I said with a small gulp. "I think I got it."

The two brothers looked at each other a brief moment before turning back to me. "Would it be alright if we showed you something?" Reshiram asked.

"Uh, sure. What is it?" They answered my question by teleporting all three of us to a cemetery. "Why are we in this place?" They merely pointed to a headstone a few feet away. The name was covered by vines, so I removed the plants with a little fire. The name I saw was Gray's. "_Gray Mur, husband, father, a man who gave out hope._" I turned back to the brothers. "You brought me to your father's grave just so I could read the tombstone."

"Yes," Reshiram spoke. "Our father was a man you could get along with, no matter in what way you're living."

"He was a kind, honest soul," Zekrom added. "There wasn't a day where we weren't thinking of him. Kyurem, on the other..."

"I know that Kyurem's your brother," I said. "Gray even told me himself."

"YOU SPOKE WITH OUR FATHER?!" the brothers exclaimed in unison. "HOW?!"

I explained to them what had happened in my near death experience, and told them everything that Gray had told me. "That's all that was."

"Could it be possible...?" Reshiram muttered to Zekrom.

"It might be, but..." Zekrom muttered back.

"What?" I asked. "What are two talking about?"

"Nothing," they spoke simultaneously.

_I call bull on that._

"How can you prove it?" Zekrom asked. "Unless you have evidence, you can't call anything. Ha!"

I smiled a little.

* * *

Zekrom, Reshiram, and I spent most of the day talking about what went on in our lives before becoming Immortal... well, for me, Half-Immortal. I learned a lot of interesting things on that day from both brothers that intrigued, fascinated, shocked, and possibly made me a bit queasy. I'm sure they learned a thing or so from me, as well.

"Brother, I believe it's time to hand my daughter our little going away presents," Reshiram said.

"You guys didn't have to get me anything," I said.

Zekrom lightly chuckled. "So modest," he said. "In that case, I'll give her mine first."

_I wonder what gift he got for me._

"TADA!" From behind his back, he pulled out a small, ratty, old, leathery brown backpack. "Do you know what this is?"

"A backpack...?" I answered cautiously.

"Wrong! It's a magic backpack!"

I raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What's magic about it?"

"Observe." He opened the bag, unzipping it, and pulled out the Demonology and Mobius Immortals books. Both the books were large and thick. To put them both in a tiny backpack was just impossible. "Impressed? I'm sure you are. This backpack can hold as much stuff as you wanted. It can even hold weapons in it, no matter how large!" He then pulled out the empty sword sheathe.

I blinked a few times to process what I had just seen. It was so amazing, it was almost like one of those slight of hand magic tricks. "I guess that thing really is magic."

"Oh. One more thing." He reached in one last time and pulled out a reddish-pink glasses case.

I instantly grabbed the case and opened it up, a pair of glasses lying inside. "My glasses!" I picked them up. "But how-"

"I may have found where you were living and picked them up. I figured you were needing these like crazy."

"But... don't Immortals have, like, 20/20 vision? I hadn't needed these for months." I put the glasses back and closed the case.

"Ah-ah-ah, not so fast. We, with the help of the mystical ESP Immortals, have made these glasses even better."

"Your glasses now have the ability to translate ancient manuscripts that have been worn by time," Reshiram added.

"Oh, cool," I said.

"And now, for my gift to you." From behind his back, he pulled out some kind of gold dagger. "This is the Immortal Dagger. It weakens various Demon creatures, depending on their strength. You won't have only one. The rest are in the backpack your dear uncle has bestowed."

"...Why are you guys doing this for me?" Both brothers looked curiously at me. "I mean, you two weren't exactly _around_ when I was growing up. You don't even know what it's like."

"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle," Zekrom said confidently.

"Uncle Zekkie, this is the 21st century. A lot has changed since your time. You'd be out of your elements." I let out a small sigh. "Trust me when I say that neither of you would blend in with the current society. You're too bold."

"We're Immortals," Reshiram said. "Of course we stand out amongst mere mortals." He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "But you'll be fine; I've heard and seen what you can do."

"You mean it?"

A smile appeared on his face. "Of course. I'm not the God of Truth for nothing."

* * *

I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. I got up off the couch and headed outside to the porch, sitting on the steps. I let out a small sigh as I lowered my head. The smell of cinnamon started filling my nostrils. "Hey Espy," I said.

I saw Espio sit next to me from the corner of my eye. "I can't believe this is how it started," he said. "You and I talking in the dead of night. It just seems like yesterday you were quiet and unsure of everything."

"No kidding," I replied.

"You're not going to forget your ninja training, are you?"

I turned to the ninja chameleon. "What makes you think that? Just because you won't be around doesn't mean I'll stop doing Ninjutsu!"

A smile grew on his face. "That's good to hear." He paused, looking up at the sky. "You'll do great things. I know it. There might be pain and heartbreak in your life, but I know that you're strong enough to pull through those difficulties. If people don't think you're good enough, I know you'll try even harder."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that no matter what the challenge, no matter how difficult it is, you'll be able to pull yourself through." He glanced over at me. "And I know you won't be going through those difficulties alone."

I felt my eyes filling with tears. _I wish I could stay, even if it's just for a little while..._ I quickly wiped my eyes before any tears fell.

"It's alright to cry once in a while, but there may be times when you need to be strong."

"Thanks, Espy," I said with a sniffle. "I'll keep that in mind." The light suddenly got stronger and brighter. The two of us looked over and saw that the sun was starting to rise, the night becoming the dawn. "Morning." I took a deep breath and stood up. "I guess I'll get my things." I went back inside and grabbed the ratty backpack from the coffee table. Slinging the backpack onto my shoulders, I went back outside just as Arceus had appeared in the middle of the yard.

"It is time," Arceus spoke. "Are you ready?"

"I am," I said with confidence. I took a few steps forward, but then stopped. I turned back to Espio, who stood there for a moment, and then bowed. Before he could react, I went in and gave him a hug. He staggered back a bit. "I just wanted to thank you. For everything. Tell Vector and Charmy that I'll always remember them, won't you?"

He was silent a moment before he hugged me back and said, "I will."

I pulled from the hug and faced Arceus once more. "Okay... _now _I'm ready."

Arceus turned his back to me. He held out his hands, some kind of portal appearing. He turned back to me. "This portal shall lead you back to Earth," he said. "When you have eradicated the Demons from a certain area, this portal shall take you to another place. But be warned. Where you end up is not determined by me, or any other Immortal. You are sent wherever the portal takes you. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good. I wish you luck." He teleported away, the portal still there.

I took a deep breath and moved toward the portal. Before entering, I looked back one last time. Espio showed a small, yet sad smile. I smiled back, telling him it was going to be alright. I turned back to the portal and walked inside it. The only way I walked was straight because I instinctively knew that if I walked in any other direction, I would just get lost. I looked back a brief moment, seeing that the portal had closed behind me. This is it, I thought. No turning back now. Even though it was an ending, it was also a beginning.

**THE END**

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**Well, that's the end of the first story in the Dragon Chronicle series. Tell me what you think, guys! I'd like to know if I can get started working on the sequel.**


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